Product Recall: IKEA “Malm” Dresser has Killed 8 Children

On October 19, 2017, a two-year-old California child became the 8^th victim crushed to death by an unstable "Malm" model dresser from Swedish furniture giant IKEA, according to ABC News. The budget-friendly dresser, sold by IKEA from 2002 through 2016, is unstable and at high risk for tipping over. With more than 65 million such dressers sold worldwide, does one of these Malm dressers present a danger to small children in your home?

Background

In June 2016, IKEA recalled approximately 8 million Malm dressers sold in the U.S. because they pose a risk of tipping over and had reportedly caused the wrongful death of three small children at that time. IKEA began offering refunds―and still does― for both the three-drawer and six-drawer Malm chests, which sold for $80 to $200. For those who chose to keep the pieces, the furniture company provided repair kits so customers could secure the dressers to the wall, preventing them from falling and crushing any additional children.

In December 2016, the company reached a $50 million settlement with the families of the first three victims and stopped selling its Malm dresser.

IKEA went a step further, recalling all chests and dressers it ever sold in the U.S. that don't meet current American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Here's the entire list of all dressers and chests IKEA has ever sold that don't meet current ASTM standards ― an estimated 21 million in the U.S. alone.

However, the Malm dresser continues to threaten kids across the U.S. and worldwide. Kids In Danger, a non-profit organization, estimates that refunds or repair kits have been issued for as few as 3% of the total dressers sold – meaning that around 63 million of the potentially hazardous dressers could still be in use worldwide, with up to 7.76 million of those in the U.S.―posing the threat of additional serious injuries or deaths.

Take Action: Secure Dressers to Wall

Do you, a family member or loved one have one of these potentially dangerous dressers in your home? If so, it should be securely anchored to the wall to prevent it from tipping over. If it isn't secured, IKEA advises that you immediately stop using the dresser and move it to an area of your home where small children can't gain access to it.

Request a Refund or Repair Kit

IKEA continues to offer both refunds and repair kits for anyone with one of the Malm dressers. You can request a free wall anchoring kit or learn more about the recall here.

To request a refund, bring the chest or dresser back to an IKEA store, call them at 866-856-4532, or email to discuss your options. A receipt isn't required. If the item was manufactured before January 2002 you'll receive a 50% refund of the purchase price. If it was made from January 1, 2002 until June 28, 2016 you'll receive a full refund.

Share This Recall

As Richmond personal injury lawyers and wrongful death attorneys, we're helping to get the word out to parents who may unknowingly have one of these potentially dangerous dressers in their homes. Please share this information with your family, friends and neighbors. By doing so, you could help prevent a wrongful death or serious injury.