IKEA to pay family £35m after two-year-old killed by chest of drawers
IKEA has agreed to pay $46m (£35m) to the parents of a two-year-old boy who died from injuries he suffered when a chest of drawers tipped on to him.
Jozef Dudek, from Buena Park in California, died in 2017 after a 32kg (70Ibs) Malm dresser toppled over.
In a lawsuit brought in Philadelphia the year after Jozef died, his parents accused the Swedish furniture company of knowing the item posed a hazard, and of failing to warn customers to attach it to a wall.
The dresser was recalled in 2016, the lawsuit said.
IKEA offered its “deepest condolences” to the family.
Joleen Dudek, Jozef’s mother, told USA Today: “We miss him so much. He would be turning five this year in April.
“We never thought that a two-year-old could cause a short 30-inch dresser to tip over and suffocate him.”
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Under the settlement, IKEA must meet advocacy organisation Parents Against Tip-Overs, the family’s lawyers said.
About $1m (£762,000) from the settlement will be donated to organisations that advocate for more rigorous stability testing.
IKEA said in a statement: “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.”
A spokesperson added: “We remain committed to working proactively and collaboratively to address this very important home safety issue.
“Product safety is a top priority for IKEA and at the core of the design process every day. Again, we offer our deepest condolences to the family.”
