IKEA Product Defects and Your Child’s Safety

IKEA is a popular retailer for San Diego residents who are seeking affordable but stylish furniture for their homes. Are IKEA product defects, particularly those implicated in child injuries, a reason to stay away from the store? According to a recent article from Consumerist, IKEA is re-recalling (in other words, recalling for a second time) one of its crib mattresses. What is the problem with the crib mattress? Based on the recall issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the recall is due to the alleged flammability of the mattresses. In previous recalls, the same mattresses posed a risk of entrapment to young children. News of this recall comes on the heels of two other serious IKEA recalls, begging the question: Are IKEA products safe for your kids?

Details of the Mattress Recall

What do you need to know about the product defect identified in a specific group of IKEA mattresses? First, the name of the product is the VYSSA SPELEVINK crib mattress, and the CPSC identified the following hazard in this consumer item: “The crib mattresses fail to meet the federal open flame standard for mattresses, posing a fire hazard.” The mattresses were sold at IKEA stores throughout the country, including the San Diego area, between October of 2010 and May of 2014.

If you purchased one of these mattresses, you should immediately stop using it and return it to an IKEA store. Consumers were previously urged to return this same model due to the serious child injury risks it posed. Specifically, a recall issued by the CPSC detailed how the crib mattresses were constructed in such a way that they “could create a gap between the mattress and crib ends larger than allowed by federal regulations.” Those federal regulations are in place to prevent infants from getting trapped and suffocating.

Yet the crib mattress is not the only consumer issue that IKEA currently faces. The brand has been linked to other products that could pose unreasonable risks to children.

Child Injuries and Consumer Products

In addition to the crib mattresses identified in the recent recall, Consumer Affairs recently reported on a recall of IKEA nightlights due to the risk of electrical shock to kids. The PATRULL nightlights, which were designed in multiple different colors to be used in children’s rooms, were made with a plastic covering that could easily become detached. Once that cover detaches, the electrical components of the nightlight are exposed. One child already suffered an electrical shock injury. Although no other known incidents were reported, it is extremely important for parents to stop using these nightlights.

Shortly before news of the nightlight recall, headlines reported on the defective IKEA “Malm” dressers, which posed an unacceptable tipping risk. Two children died because of the product defect. In all, IKEA recalled 27 million dressers and chest, according to an article in Huffington Post.

When we buy products for use in our homes, we deserve to expect that they will not cause harm to our children. However, injuries caused by defective products do happen. If your child suffers an injury from a defective product, you should discuss your case with a San Diego product liability lawyer as soon as possible. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about our services.

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