Who would have thought that furniture is becoming an big injury risk?
Everything these days is becoming lighter, faster, slimmer, and more convenient. And, with convenience, theres always a cost. This is the case with the newer, lighter, and more versatile furniture and appliances. As televisions continue to get slimmer, furniture companies are creating lighter furniture to hold them. Less materials make products easier to make. Easier construction equals less cost.
Sadly, lower quality products increase the odds of accidents. The bottom line is furniture manufacturers are reducing cost to create products at the expense of your safety. While the lighter and more versatile furniture is certainly convenient, the lack of weight has brought about a new type of accident–tip-over accidents.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has recently launched a campaign called, “Get on Top of It Before They Do” that encourages parents use anchors to keep furniture and televisions secured so that they do not tip-over on children. They list five ways to reduce the risk of tip-over accidents:
- Purchase heavy and sturdy furniture
- Secure your TV to furniture
- Mount flat screen TVs to the wall
- Use anchors to mount top heavy furniture to the wall
- Remove object that will tempt kids to climb furniture
Tip-Over Statistics
Children are at a high risk of tip-over injuries. Statistically speaking, approximately 25,000 kids are injured each year due to household furniture or appliances falling on top of them. On a larger scale, there are over 43,000 tip-over accidents each year. Proving that everyone is as risk for tip-over accidents.
Makers will try to blame such accidents on kids curiosity, but if approximately 40% of tip-over accidents happen to adults, kids curiosity is not the only factor in such accidents. ?When adults who understand the dangers of climbing on unsteady pieces of furniture are being harmed as well, there is more to the accident than curiosity.
Clearly, furniture and appliance makers are not doing their due diligence in keeping consumers safe. If you or one of your loved ones have been harmed by a furniture tip-over accident, you need to reach out and find the right legal representation. Finding someone who understands the laws regarding liability can assure you that you get a settlement to help you recover from such an injury.
Who can I speak with if my child has been hurt in a tip-over accident?
Manufacturers have an obligation to create safe products. They also have a duty to inform consumers of any possible injuries that may occur as a result of products not being assembled or installed properly.
If your child has been harmed by a piece of furniture or by any other item that has tipped over because it has not been made to adhere to safety standards, you need to contact legal representation immediately.
An attorney who cares about your needs can help you determine if the company is liable for any injuries that may have occurred as a result of faulty engineering or lack of directions for assembly.