For many, the sounds of children and loved ones talking, laughing, playing and enjoying togetherness punctuate weekend and family gatherings.
Regardless of whether you’re hosting a party or enjoying someone else’s hospitality, the Pennsylvania personal injury attorneys at Kline & Specter, PC, want to remind you of the dangers of furniture tip-over accidents.
Why talk about tip-over accidents?
Consider these statistics from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
- An American is injured by a piece of tip-over furniture every 15 minutes.
- A child visits an emergency room about every 24 minutes after being injured by a tipped TV or piece of furniture.
- A child dies roughly every two weeks from a tip-over accident.
Our product liability lawyers are proud to have helped kick-start the national conversation around furniture safety in the aftermath of the tragic 2002 death of 5-year-old Jonathan Cozzolino after he was crushed to death at school by a defective cafeteria table.
Our attorneys successfully represented Jonathan’s mother in a product liability lawsuit against the Philadelphia School District, which not only resulted in a $10 million verdict in our client’s favor but also illuminated the glaring need for greater furniture safety oversight.
And while there is still no federal safety standard for furniture, government-agency officials have joined consumer groups in calling for more strident manufacturer oversight.
“Millions of Americans, who expect that the products they buy will be safe for the children in their homes, are unknowingly exposed to a serious hidden hazard that continues to seriously injure and kill our children,” CPSC Commissioner Marietta Robinson writes in her blog, “The Robinson Report.”
Last year, Robinson’s agency launched the “Anchor It!” public service campaign targeted at alerting the public to furniture tip-over dangers. Our firm’s product liability lawyers encourage you to investigate the CPSC’s “Anchor It!” web site — anchorit.gov — for information on how to thoroughly safeguard your home against these lethal accidents.
If, however, you or someone you love is seriously injured by a piece of defective furniture, or someone else’s negligence, remember that the personal injury lawyers at Kline & Specter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are among the best in the country at winning justice for accident victims. Call our product liability attorneys for a free lawsuit consultation: 800-243-1100.
