Target has issued a recall for 175,000 dressers that were sold in its US stores for three years. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), these dressers may tip-over and injure or kill small children. The CPSC has urged parents to stop using Target’s Room Essentials Four-Drawer dressers. These dressers have different model numbers that vary by color.
- Black dressers have the model number 249-05-0103
- Espresso dresser have the model number 249-05-0106
- Maple dressers have the model number 249-05-0109
As of last week, there were no reported injuries. However, Target has received 12 reports of the dressers falling. Target’s Room Essentials Four-Drawer was sold in stores from January 2013 through April 2016. If you own one of these dressers, then you can bring it into any Target store to receive a full refund.
What Are Tip-Over Accidents?
Target’s dressers are only part of a much larger safety problem lurking in many homes. According to the CPSC’s website, www.anchorit.gov, there are 33,000 visits to emergency rooms caused by tip-over accidents each year. Some children harmed by falling furniture suffer catastrophic injuries. In addition, tip-over accidents kill one child every two weeks.
Tip-over accidents may occur when children pull on or try to climb top-heavy furniture. Dressers, television sets and bookcases can cause these accidents. Parents can purchase anchors and other tip-over devices to prevent these accidents, but there are cases where furniture products are unsafe due to defects. For example, IKEA’s MALM dressers allegedly did not meet the minimum industry safety standards.
Many freestanding dresser manufacturers utilize safety standards when designing their products. New requirements have been added over the years. However, there is widespread criticism that these safety standards are still not sufficient for preventing accidents.
If your child was harmed in a tip-over accident, then it is important to contact a product liability attorney. The furniture product responsible for the accident may contain design defects. Depending on the circumstances, you could file a lawsuit against the manufacturer, retailer or other parties for damages.
The Philadelphia product liability lawyers at Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C., have decades of experience hold businesses accountable for releasing unsafe products.
