As most people know, IKEA is a hugely popular furniture store with 424 locations worldwide spanning several continents. It is also no stranger to the legal spotlight. IKEA has had to issue over 17.3 million furniture recalls due to the dangerous and defective nature of some of its products. It has been alleged that its products have caused 9 child deaths and countless other injuries.
One of the most publicized recalls involved furniture prone to tipping over and causing severe injury or death to young children. IKEA has faced individual personal injury and wrongful death claims as a result of these dangerous products, but a class action suit has recently been filed against IKEA in federal court on behalf of its consumers. Filed on May 6, 2020, the suit alleges that customers who bought IKEA dressers before the recall in 2016 were turned away by IKEA when attempting to return the recalled product. In addition to the return policy, the suit also claims that IKEA withheld information that the dressers were not safe from its customers, including the known risk of the furniture being prone to tip-overs, while continuing to sell the products.
When a product is recalled, a company should, at a minimum, take several steps to make sure customers are aware of the danger and to make sure the products are taken off the market. These include (1) notifying customers by email/phone/letter to alert them to the recall; (2) taking the product off the shelves; and (3) allowing customers who bought the dangerous or defective product to fix, replace, or return it. This is why it is so important for customers to fill out registration cards and return them to the manufacturer when purchasing larger products.
For questions regarding injuries sustained due to dangerous and defective consumer products, please contact us. SUGARMAN’s personal injury attorneys have decades of experience in investigating and litigating product liability cases. Call us at 617-542-1000, email , or fill out a Contact Form.