BUENA PARK (CNS) - Ikea has agreed to pay $46 million to the parents of a 2-year-old boy from Buena Park killed when an approximately 70-pound dresser fell on him, attorneys said today.
Jozef Dudek was killed on May 24, 2017, when the MALM three-drawer dresser had fallen on him, according to the Philadelphia law firm representing his parents, Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock & Dodig, LLP.
The settlement also requires Ikea to meet with the advocacy organization, Parents Against Tip-overs, and broaden its outreach to consumers about the recall of Ikea dressers, Feldman Shepherd told reporters.
The Dudek family will donate $1 million from the settlement to organizations that advocate for more rigorous stability testing for dressers, they said.
In a statement, Ikea said it offered its deepest condolences and is working to address “this very important home safety issue,” including offering consumer education and safety workshops and working to make safer products.
“While no settlement can alter the tragic events that brought us here, for the sake of the family and all involved, we're grateful that this litigation has reached a resolution,” it said.
Ikea knew of many injuries and deaths associated with tip-overs of the MALM line of dressers prior to the boy's death, but failed to take adequate measures to improve the safety and stability of the dressers, according to the lawsuit.
Ikea dressers were recalled in 2016 as part of one of the largest consumer recalls in United States history. The recall occurred after Feldman Shepherd had filed lawsuits on behalf of two families whose children were killed by MALM dressers tip-overs.
The suit was filed in 2017 in Pennsylvania where Ikea's U.S. corporate headquarters are located.
Because of a settlement in a previous case brought by Feldman Shepherd, Ikea agreed to only sell chests and dressers in the U.S. meeting or exceeding the national voluntary safety standard for clothing storage units.
Ikea had also agreed to increase funding for its “Secure It” program to raise awareness of the risk of tip-overs, to include national television advertisements, internet and digital communications and in-store warnings.
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