According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), between 2000 and 2010, one child died every two weeks in the United States from a television, piece of furniture or appliance tipping and falling on him or her. 70% of these fatalities occurred as a result of a television tip-over. In addition to the deaths, television tip-overs also cause serious child injuries including brain damage due to asphyxia, fractures and internal injuries.
To minimize the risk, the CPSC advises the following:
• Place TVs on sturdy, low bases.
• Or, anchor the furniture and the TV on top of it, and push the TV as far back on top of the furniture as possible.
• Keep remote controls, toys, and other items that might be attractive to children off TV stands or furniture.
• Supervise children in rooms where these safety tips have not been followed.
While all of these recommendations are good advice, CPSC has engaged television manufacturers in eliminating these child fatalities. As pointed out in a previous blog, CPSC has engaged stove manufacturers in stability safety issues. As flat screen televisions have grown larger, the stands supplied by manufacturers have not provided the required stability especially where children are present. Yet, CPSC has not required that anchoring mounts be supplied with televisions and these are generally not supplied by manufacturers.
When one of these devastating deaths or injuries occurs, a personal injury lawyer should be consulted regarding the potential liability of a television manufacturer or installer.
SUGARMAN has a team of dedicated personal injury attorneys who represent those who have been injured. If you have been hurt in an accident and wish to speak to one of our attorneys regarding liability, please fill out a Contact Form, call us at (617) 542-1000 or e-mail info@sugarman.com.