IKEA to Pay $46 Million to Parents of Boy Killed by Dresser

The family says the store knew about the dangers of its dressers but did not warn customers.

Swedish furniture and home goods retailer IKEA has agreed to pay $46 million to the parents of a two-year-old boy who died after a 32-kilogram dresser fell on him.

The announcement was made on Monday, January 6, by the family's lawyers, reports The New York Times.

Two-year-old Joseph Dudek from Buena Park, California, died in 2017, and his parents sued the Swedish company in 2018. The Dudeks accused IKEA of knowing about the dangers of its Malm dressers, which can tip over and have already injured or killed several children, but, according to the plaintiffs, of not warning consumers that this furniture should be used only when attached to a wall.

The Dudek family says it plans to donate $1 million to organizations that advocate for stricter testing of dressers before they go on sale.

IKEA expressed condolences to the boy's parents and said it is working to address "this very important issue," including through consumer education and efforts to improve the safety of its own products.

Due to the risk of tipping over, in 2016 the company recalled 29 million Malm and other models of dressers from sale, and urged customers to stop using them immediately if they were not properly attached to a wall, and to place them where children cannot reach them.