(CNN Business) – Swedish furniture manufacturer Ikea will pay $ 46 million to the family of a California boy who died after being crushed by one of his sideboards.
Jozef Dudek was two years old when he died in May 2017 after an Ikea Malm dresser fell on his neck, causing injuries that suffocated him, according to family lawyers.
Feldman Shepherd, the law firm that represents the Dudek family, said in a statement that the payment is the largest negligence death agreement related to a child in the history of U.S.
A spokesman for Ikea confirmed the $ 46 million deal. The company apologized in a statement.
“While no agreement can alter the tragic events that brought us here, for the good of the family and everyone involved, we are grateful that this litigation has reached a resolution,” said a spokesman for Ikea.
“Product safety is a priority for Ikea and is the core of the design process every day. Again, we offer our deepest condolences to the family, ”the spokesman added.
In 2016, Ikea paid 50 million to families of three other children who had been killed due to Malm’s dressers and agreed to redesign the product to higher safety standards.
“However, millions of the old insecure models of dressing rooms remain in the homes of consumers across the country,” said Feldman Shepherd, who represented the families in these previous cases.
There have been eight reports of deaths children that involve Ikea chests and dressers, according to the company’s website in the United States.
Since 2016, the chain has removed 17.3 million units in the United States and received almost 300 reports of incidents that caused 144 injuries to children.
A lawsuit filed by the Dudek family in June 2018 alleges that Ikea knew about the deaths associated with the locker rooms, but “did not take adequate measures” to improve its safety and stability.
As part of the agreement, Ikea agreed to expand its reach to consumers about the withdrawal of the product from Malm, according to family lawyers.
The lawyers said the furniture manufacturer will also meet with representatives of Parents Against Tip-Overs, a defense group that advocates safer furniture designs and stricter testing standards.
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