On October 3, 2019, Ridgewood issued a recall for the Belmont four-drawer dressers. According to the recall (number 20-003), the dressers are unstable and can tip over if they are not anchored to the wall. The unstable drawers pose a tip-over and entrapment risk that could result in injuries or death of children. The recall also claims that the models of the dressers that are over 30 inches in height failed to comply with the performance requirements set by the industry standard.
Approximately one million units are affected by the recall. The models affected by the recall include the following:
- 5933015K (white)
- 5933026K (black)
- 5933080K (light pine)
- 5933102K (brown oak)
- 634026KPM (black)
- 634102KPM (brown oak)
- 63415KPM (white)
- 63480KPM (light pine)
The defective four-drawer dressers were sold at Kmart and Sears stores throughout the U.S. The defective dressers were also available online. The dressers were sold from April 2013 to September 2019 – each dresser was sold for approximately $40. According to the recall, there have been no incidents or injuries related to the defective drawers.
The recall suggests that all consumers immediately stop using the drawers if they are not anchored to a wall. If the drawers are not anchored, consumers should place the drawers in an area inaccessible to children. The recall suggests that consumers contact the company for a free wall anchoring kit. The company has also offered free in-home installation of the wall anchor kit.
The recall claims that there haven’t been any incidents or injuries associated with the defective product. However, it is possible that there have been many unreported incidents and injuries. Was your child affected by the recalled four-drawer dresser? Did your child suffer injuries or lose his or her life? If your child suffered any sort of harm after the recalled dresser tipped over resulting in entrapment, you might have grounds to pursue a product liability claim; therefore, it is essential that you do not follow any of the actions recommended in the recall.
Instead, it is essential that you seek legal assistance to begin the legal process against Ridgewood for the harm that your child suffered. If you would like to learn more about your right to pursue a claim against Ridgewood for the harm that you suffered as a result of their defective product, do not hesitate to contact Normandie Law Firm immediately. Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling all sorts of claims, including defective product claims. Our lawyers are dedicated to representing all parties affected by defective product. If you would like to discuss your claim with our experts, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience.
What Happens When a Dresser Tips Over?
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, every 17 minutes, a piece of furniture (such as a dresser) tipping over causes injury in the U.S. Also, within a 16 year period (2000 to 2016), there were a total of 195 deaths associated with furniture tipping over – considering that furniture should never be dangerous, this is an alarming number.
As explained above, the Ridgewood four-drawer dresser can be unstable and tip over if it is not properly anchored to the wall. Specifically, the drawer dresser’s instability poses a severe risk of harm to children. Children do not have the capacity to understand the consequences to certain actions. If children see something that they want to get their hands on (such as a toy, a candy bar, or even a TV remote), they are going to do whatever they can to get it. In many cases, this means that children will climb furniture.
If a child starts climbing a drawer dresser, the child’s weight could cause the drawer dresser to tip over – the child’s weight puts more strain on the already unstable dresser causing it to tip over. When the drawer tips over too far, it can fall and trap the climbing child underneath. If a drawer dresser falls on a child, a child could suffer a variety of injuries including but not limited to the following: head injuries, brain injuries, broken bones, crushing injuries, lacerations, and suffocation. Under certain circumstances, a child can even lose his or her life.
Without a doubt, a dresser tipping over could have catastrophic results. If your child was injured or lost his or her life, you should do everything within your reach to hold the company that negligently made a defective product available to you accountable for their actions.
Who is Liable for Harm Related to Defective Products?
Based on product liability, the companies that negligently make defective products available for purchase could be liable for all the harm their consumers suffer due to the defective products. This means that Ridgewood could be liable for the harm that your child suffered due to their defective drawer dressers.
More specifically, all companies have a duty of care towards their consumers. They must ensure that their products are completely safe to be used by their consumers. This means that companies have the duty to thoroughly test and inspect their products before even thinking about making them available for purchase. When they identify any risks associated with their products, they must immediately take action to address these risks. Failing to address any issues in their products represents a breach of duty of care.
When a company breaches their duty of care towards their consumers, they are creating the risk of harm for their consumers. When a breached duty of care directly leads to the harm an innocent party suffered, the company is likely to be liable – given that the defect in the product was relevant to the product’s design, labeling, or manufacturing.
What does this mean? If you can prove that the harm that your child suffered was a direct result of a breached duty of care, you will have grounds to pursue a claim based on product liability. For more information about product liability and your right to pursue a claim, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance as soon as possible.
What Should I do if my Child was harmed by a Defective Ridgewood Dresser?
If your child was harmed by a defective product, it is essential that you take the appropriate action. The most important thing is to seek medical attention immediately. Avoid moving your child (movement can worsen injuries) and simply call emergency services. This will ensure that your child gets medical care as soon as possible. If your child does not survive his or her injuries, you must ensure that there is a clear cause of death. If there are any clear physical injuries on your child’s body, you should take photos. You should also photograph the defective product (before you remove it from the scene of the incident). If there is any way to photograph the scene of the incident before moving anything, you should try to do so.
It is also important to stop using the defective product. You should put it away, in an area inaccessible to children. Do not tamper with the defective drawer dresser in any way. Do not get rid of the defective product. You must keep the defective product in your possession and as-is. Next, you must contact the company to report the incident. You should also inform them of the harm that your child suffered. However, you should never reveal any information that could be used against you. You should also never accept any liability for the incident. The company might also offer a refund, a repair, or an exchange (if you return the product); never agree to any of these offers.
You will also have to gather all records relevant to the defective product. This could include receipts of the purchase, order confirmations, shipping confirmations, and even bank statements. You should also have access to all medical records.
Another step of vital importance is seeking legal assistance. Many people unfortunately settle for the first lawyer that claims to be able to help. However, getting the appropriate legal assistance isn’t always easy. You must ensure that that you choose an attorney with many years of experience handling claims similar to yours. Do not be afraid to ask questions to help you choose the right attorney to handle your claim.
Your Claim is Subject to Deadlines
Although you have the right to sue, you could lose this right if you fail to take legal action within the appropriate length of time. All claims are subject to deadlines – or statutes of limitations. The statue of limitations that applies to your claim determines the specific length of time that you have to file. If you fail to file on time, you will lose your right to sue. What deadline applies to product liability claims? In California, product liability claims are subject to a strict two-year deadline; therefore, claimants will only have two years to file. However, exceptions can apply, affecting the specific deadline that applies to your claim. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the time that you have to pursue a claim against Ridgewood for the harm that your child suffered, do not hesitate to contact our firm today.
Contact Normandie Law Firm
At Normandie Law Firm, we are dedicated to providing you with the legal representation that you need to recover the compensation that you deserve. We will fight for your right to recover monetary compensation for the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral and burial costs
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages
Regardless of the specific details of your claim, our lawyers will aggressively fight for your right to recover the compensation that you deserve. If you would like to learn more about the compensation that you could be eligible to recover if your claim reaches a successful outcome, do not hesitate to contact our firm immediately.
Our lawyers are ready to evaluate your claim and start working towards reaching a positive outcome. Have you hesitated to seek legal assistance due to the expenses that are usually associated with legal services? At our firm, we offer free consultations and free second opinions with the goal of ensuring that all parties interested in pursuing a claim after being harmed in one way or another have access to the legal assistance that they need – without ever having to worry about expensive legal fees.
Our free legal services are available as part of our Zero-Fee guarantee, which means that our clients will never be required to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. Our law firm is also strictly based on a contingency structure. This means that our clients will never have to pay anything until after they win. If you do not win, you will not pay anything. You have nothing to lose. If you are in need of legal assistance after your child was harmed by a defective product, do not hesitate to contact our law firm at your earliest convenience.
