Parents Receive Large Settlement After Losing Son to an Ikea Dresser

January 30, 2020

Ikea Offers Settlement in Response to Tragic Death of a Toddler

The parents of Jozef Dudek will receive a settlement of $46 million from Ikea after losing their young son to a faulty dresser sold by the leading furniture company. The boy was only two when the incident occurred. The parents of Jozef Dudek had initially purchased the Malm dresser from Ikea and then placed it in the home where it eventually toppled over and fell on top of their son, causing him to suffocate to death. The death was unexpected, shocking, and painful for the parents who did not know there was anything defective about the Malm dresser. Unfortunately, a year before Jozef’s death in 2017, Ikea had recalled that dresser, along with millions of others.

Ikea Recall Issued

While there was a recall for the Malm three-drawer dresser, the Dudek’s were not aware of it and had not been informed of it. While it may have been mentioned on the news at some point, the parents did not see it, and that is the reason they continued using the dresser without worry. 

They had no concerns because they did not feel like the dresser was unsafe to use around their young child. Unfortunately, it was unsafe because of the way that the dresser was made. It was defective because it failed to meet the safety standards that dressers should meet before they are sold to the public.

When Ikea was made aware of the situation, they did recall the dressers. They also awarded $50 million between three separate families whose children were victims of these horrific dresser-related accidents. However, Dudek’s parents have received the largest settlement for this type of accident from the company, and it is likely due to their failure to promote the details of the recall. 

Ikea did not make an effort to reach out to its customers who purchased these dressers and simply relied on word-of-mouth via the news and social media to spread the word. The lack of promotion is the primary reason the Dudek’s continued using the dresser, and it is likely the reason that many other families are still using the dresser despite the safety concerns associated with it.

Agreement Reached in Lawsuit

After reaching the agreement, Ikea issued a statement where the company states that they know the amount provided does not make up for the loss of the Dudek’s child. However, they do want the Dudek’s and the rest of their customers to know that they are working hard to address concerns and make changes to create safer products for their customers.

At least nine other children have died as a result of an Ikea dresser that tipped over and fell. Many other children were seriously injured by these dressers, even though their injuries did not cause their death to occur. Jozef was the first of these children to die from the dresser suffocating him after Ikea issued a recall for some of its products. Joleen Dudek, the boy’s mother, has made it clear that she intends to donate at least $1 million to organizations that help to spread the word on different recalls to the general public to make them aware of safety hazards and concerns.

Contact a Morristown Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Product Liability Case in New Jersey

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to defective products in New Jersey? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Hoyt & Hoyt, PC represent clients injured because of product liability in Morristown, New Brunswick, Dover, Randolph, and throughout New Jersey. Call 973-292-2299 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 67 East Park Place, 5th Floor, Morristown, NJ 07960 as well as an office in New Brunswick.

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