A documentary series by Netflix covering dangerous consumer products in a handful of industries shines a spotlight on a growing epidemic of dresser tip-overs in the U.S.
“Broken” aired on the streaming platform on Nov. 27, just two days before consumers hit the stores for Black Friday. The trailer cites the statistic from the Consumer Product Safety Commission that every 17 minutes someone is injured by a piece of furniture falling over on them, as a camera pans a lineup of dressers and clothing storage units and a dresser ultimately tips over.
In 2016, Feldman Shepherd attorneys Alan M. Feldman, Daniel J. Mann and Edward S. Goldis achieved a $50 million global settlement on behalf of the families of three toddlers who were killed when IKEA MALM dressers fell on them. The settlement also contained nonmonetary provisions designed to keep children safe in their bedrooms. Specifically, IKEA agreed to only sell chests and dressers in the United States that met or exceeded the then-current voluntary safety standard. The company also promised to increase funding for its “Secure It” program to raise awareness of the risk of tip-overs. The settlement further provided that IKEA would donate a total of $150,000 to three children’s hospitals in the states where the children lived and $100,000 to Shane’s Foundation NFP.
Two of the children’s mothers — Crystal Ellis and Janet McGee — were interviewed by Netflix for the episode, which focuses exclusively on IKEA’s corporate conduct.
Ellis and McGee were featured as guests in a “Dresser Tip-Overs” podcast that Feldman Shepherd released in December.
We are so proud of our clients Crystal and Janet for their advocacy work to protect children. Since the resolution of their claims against IKEA, they have worked tirelessly to promote safe design and rigorous testing of dressers, in order to “pay it forward” to ensure that no other parents experience the tragedy that their families endured.
