One million dressers sold at Kmart stores for five years are being recalled because they can tip over and seriously injure or even kill young children. According to a CBS Sacramento news report, the four-drawer Belmont dressers were sold in four colors: white, black, light pine, and brown oak. The model numbers can be found in the instruction manual that came with the dresser.
Ridgewood Industries produced the recalled dressers, which were exclusively available at Kmart from April 2013 to November 2018 for about $40. Customers who own these dressers and don’t have them properly anchored to a wall should immediately stop using them and put them in a location where children cannot access them. Ridgewood is providing customers with a free anchoring kit, including a wall anchor strap, and will allow those affected to request a one-time, free, in-home installation of the wall anchor strap.
Death by Tip-Overs
According to Consumer Reports, every 17 minutes, a piece of furniture, TV, or appliance tipping over causes an injury in the United States. A total of 195 deaths caused by tip-overs were reported between 2000 and 2016. Children are often the most affected. Every two weeks, a child in the United States perishes due to a piece of furniture falling. In 2016, 2,800 incidents of injuries to children were reported, a 33 percent increase from 2015. In 2016, IKEA launched a voluntary recall of 29 million dressers and chests after six children were killed by pieces falling on top of them.
What Steps Can Parents Take?
Here are some of the steps that parents and caregivers can take to protect children from such horrific accidents:
- Secure cabinet doors and drawers with childproof bumpers that prevent children from opening them.
- Secure heavy furniture to the walls with L-brackets to prevent it from tipping. These inexpensive devices could make the difference between life and death.
- Don’t put toys and other objects on high shelves, which might tempt a child to attempt to climb up and retrieve them.
Please remember that you have legal rights if a dangerous or defective product has injured you or a loved one. Product manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that they put items on the market that are safe for consumers. An experienced product defect attorney can help provide more information about pursuing your rights.
Source: https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2019/10/03/belmont-dresser-recall-kmart/
