Ikea recently reached a settlement with the parents of Jozef Dudek. They have agreed to pay $46 million to the parents after their son passed away in 2017 when a dresser from Ikea fell on top of him, suffocating him and causing him to die. The incident has led many parents to wonder if the dressers they regularly use to hold shirts, pants, and other accessories are even safe to have in their households anymore.
Family Torn Apart Over Loss of Their Son
The Dudeks never thought that a dresser would be an unsafe piece of furniture to have inside the home, but it turns out that the product was very unsafe because it never met safety requirements in the first place.
Because Ikea’s dressers did not meet those requirements, the company had to recall 17.3 million dressers due to the risks associated with the use of the product. The company did not issue a recall until other children died and were reportedly injured from these dressers. There have been reports of at least nine children dying from the Ikea dressers, but many other children were negatively affected by the use of these dressers because they sustained injuries from the furniture.
When a company like Ikea produces a defective product, it is important for families to know how to hold the company accountable for its actions. If injuries or death occur, the family has every right and reason to take legal action. There are certain steps that a family would have to take that are similar to the steps taken by the parents of Jozef Dudek.
Steps to Take After a Wrongful Death
It all starts with contacting a personal injury attorney. The experienced attorneys at Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. represent clients in wrongful death, personal injury and product liability cases and can help you get started with your claim. Anyone who was impacted by a defective product would need to consult with an attorney to discuss the situation and how the product negatively impacted them, whether it caused major injuries or the death of a loved one.
After that initial consultation with an attorney, the attorney can move forward with performing an investigation on the product while finding out how many other consumers have had the same problems with these products.
When there is enough evidence to prove that the company is liable, the attorney can go through with filing a lawsuit against the company on behalf of the family that was negatively impacted by the product in some way. Evidence must be provided and used against the company to prove that the company was negligent in some way, whether they failed to let consumers know of product defects or failed to make consumers aware of recent recalls that were issued because of the safety risks associated with their products.
An attorney who takes on a case involving a defective product will make sure to provide as much evidence to support claims of negligence and liability as possible. The attorney will push for compensation in the form of physical damages, punitive damages, and compensatory damages for the family, which will often lead to large settlements awarded to families.
Contact a Lake Worth Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Product Liability Case in Florida
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to product liability in Florida? 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 Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. represent clients injured because of product liability in Lake Worth, Pompano Beach, Boynton Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and throughout Florida. Call 561-533-0345 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 813 Lucerne Ave, Lake Worth, FL 33460 as well as 4701 N Federal Hwy #309 Pompano Beach, FL 33064.
The articles on this website are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.