Furniture retailer Ikea is again under scrutiny after another toddler was crushed by its drawers. Federal safety investigators are now looking into the new case to determine if the company should be held accountable.
Philadelphia Inquirer reported that 22-month-old Theodore "Ted" McGee died on Valentine's Day this year inside their home in Apple Valley, Minnesota when the chest of drawers fell on him.
"They didn't hear the dresser fall," the family's legal counsel Alan Feldman said. "They didn't hear Ted scream."
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is also investigating the recent death which was preceded by two more starting 2014. Commission spokesperson Scott Wolfson said they consider McGee as another "tragic tip-over fatality."
Ikea has offered its condolences to the toddler's family and re-issued a safety alert to other families to follow the safety precautions that they indicate when assembling the furniture."Ikea has been advised that the product was not attached to the wall, which is an integral part of the products' assembly instructions," a company spokesperson told ITV.
The company's spokesperson added that tip-overs of the drawer's chests can be avoided if they are attached to the wall "with the included restraints and hardware per the assembly instructions." Ikea has also informed its customers that they will send anchoring kits to those who will request.
It was noted in the Philadelphia Inquirer report that both the company and the commission admitted that Ikea's chest drawers can pose a threat to the lives of people since they can be unstable when not attached to a wall. Two children have reportedly died in a span of two years because of accidents involving the Ikea Malm dressers.
According to WGN TV, the CPSC has received around 14 reports of Ikea chest drawers falling over and causing injuries. The company said it has been made aware of the death cases involving their Malm chests which are sold for a price of $80 to $200.
