At Jarons, our customer’s safety and satisfaction is always a priority. Furniture tipping has become a growing epidemic in the United States. On average 40 children are taken to emergency rooms daily with injuries caused by furniture tipping. A majority of these injuries are caused by heavy furniture items, including desks, bookcases, and dressers.[i] Jarons, along with a number of businesses are recognizing the dangers that furniture tipping poses to children. Some retailers are recalling products that are known to be a tipping hazard.
Furniture tipping is preventable. When purchasing new furniture, keep your child safe by following these tips:
- Secure cabinet doors and drawers with child-proof bumpers that prevent children from opening them. This will inhibit their ability to climb onto open drawers or doors, which can cause the furniture to tip.
- Affix heavy furniture, including bookshelves and televisions, to walls with L-brackets to prevent them from tipping. These anchoring devices are inexpensive, and can withstand the weight of the furniture should your child decide to climb it.
- Store televisions on a low stand with a wide base, and ensure the television does not exceed the weight limit of the stand. If necessary, mount the television to the wall.
- Avoid top shelf teasing – don’t punish your child by taking away a toy and storing it on a high shelf. In this way, you are challenging the child to try to find a way to access their toy, which can bring them to climb up furniture.
- Ensure that electronic cords are tucked away so that children cannot trip or pull on them and cause the electronic to fall.[v]
If your child is injured in a furniture tipping accident, contact the personal injury lawyers at Naftulin & Shick. Often there are financial and emotional damages caused by a furniture tipping injury, and Naftulin & Shick are experienced in dealing with these types of cases.
Protect your child from a furniture tipping injury with these furniture safety tips.
