IKEA Malm Recall Lawsuit | 2025 Latest Updates

If you or a loved one experienced injuries or death following a tip-over incident involving IKEA Malm dressers or other recalled furniture, you may be entitled to pursue compensation.

At Schmidt & Clark, we are dedicated to helping individuals who have suffered due to dangerous and defectively designed furniture products.

Our experienced legal team is here to guide you through the process and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact Schmidt & Clark today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

IKEA Malm Recall Lawsuit Overview

The IKEA Malm recall lawsuits focus on dangerously designed dressers and chests that can easily tip over, causing severe injuries or death, particularly to children.

Primary allegations against IKEA include failure to design stable furniture, inadequate warnings about tip-over hazards, and negligence in addressing known safety concerns.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), these furniture pieces have been linked to at least 8 child deaths and hundreds of tip-over incidents.

IKEA’s Malm dressers and other furniture lines did not comply with voluntary industry safety standards, leading to multiple recalls and numerous lawsuits seeking compensation for victims.

Latest IKEA Malm Recall Lawsuit Updates

January 7, 2020 – IKEA agreed to pay a $46 million settlement in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the parents of a California toddler who was crushed to death in May 2017 when a MALM dresser tipped over and fell on him.

The suit was filed on behalf of Plaintiffs Craig and Joleen Dudek, who argued that IKEA knew that its MALM line of dressers were dangerous, defectively designed, and prone to tipping over, yet failed to adequately warn the public about these risks.

November 22, 2017 – For the second time in just over a year, Swedish furniture giant Ikea issued a recall for its Malm Line of chests and dressers, which have been linked to hundreds of reports of toppling over when not securely anchored to the wall, in addition to at least 8 tip-over accidents in which children died [1].

June 28, 2016 – IKEA announced its first recall of Malm dressers and chests after multiple child fatalities, offering refunds or wall-anchoring kits for the affected furniture [2].

CPSC Reports and Statistics

According to reports from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other sources regarding IKEA Malm furniture hazards:

• IKEA recalled approximately 29 million Malm and other model dressers and chests in the United States
• The CPSC reports that a child is injured every 24 minutes in the U.S. from furniture or television tip-overs
• A child dies every two weeks from furniture, TV, or appliance tip-overs in the United States
• Ikea Malm dressers have been specifically linked to 186 reports of dressers tipping, 9 injuries, and at least 8 child deaths since 1989 [3]
• Other IKEA dressers (non-Malm) have been associated with 113 reports of tipping incidents resulting in 53 injuries
• The economic cost of furniture tip-over injuries in the U.S. is estimated at over $600 million annually in medical costs, lost wages, and property damage

IKEA Malm Tip-Over Injuries & Side Effects

Tip-over incidents involving IKEA Malm dressers and similar furniture can cause catastrophic injuries or death, particularly to young children who may pull on or climb dressers, triggering a dangerous tip-over.

• Traumatic Brain Injuries: When heavy furniture falls onto a child’s head, it can cause severe brain trauma ranging from concussions to fatal crushing injuries and long-term neurological damage
• Crush Injuries: The weight of tipping furniture can cause internal organ damage, broken bones, and compression injuries to the chest or abdomen, potentially leading to internal bleeding or organ failure
• Asphyxiation: Children trapped under fallen furniture may be unable to breathe properly, leading to oxygen deprivation, brain damage, or death if not rescued quickly
• Psychological Trauma: Survivors of tip-over accidents and family members who witness these incidents may suffer long-term psychological effects including PTSD, anxiety, and depression requiring ongoing therapy

Do You Qualify for an IKEA Malm Recall Lawsuit?

You may qualify for an IKEA Malm recall lawsuit if:

• You or a family member (particularly a child) suffered injuries from an IKEA Malm dresser or other recalled IKEA furniture tipping over
• You lost a loved one due to an incident involving a tip-over of recalled IKEA furniture
• The incident involved an IKEA Malm dresser or other furniture model included in the recalls issued in 2016 or 2017
• The injuries required medical treatment or resulted in death
• The incident occurred in your home or another location where the IKEA furniture was being used
• You can provide documentation of both your injuries and ownership of the recalled furniture

Evidence Required for an IKEA Malm Recall Lawsuit

• Medical records documenting injuries sustained from the furniture tip-over incident
• Proof of ownership of the recalled IKEA furniture (receipts, credit card statements, photos of the furniture)
• Documentation of the accident scene, if available (photographs, videos)
• Police or incident reports if emergency services were called
• Witness statements from anyone who observed the tip-over incident
• Details about the model and purchase date of the IKEA furniture involved

Damages You Can Recover

• Medical expenses including emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgeries, medications, and ongoing therapy
• Future medical costs for long-term care or rehabilitation
• Lost wages if parents had to miss work to care for injured children
• Pain and suffering associated with physical and emotional trauma
• Funeral and burial expenses in wrongful death cases
• Punitive damages in cases where IKEA’s conduct showed extreme negligence or disregard for safety

IKEA Malm Recall Information

November 22, 2017 – For the second time in just over a year, Swedish furniture giant Ikea has issued a recall for its Malm Line of chests and dressers, which have been linked to hundreds of reports of toppling over when not securely anchored to the wall, in addition to at least 8 tip-over accidents in which children died.

The recall applies to Ikea’s Malm dressers and chests, as well as other furniture lines sold in the United States and Canada that were not compliant with the voluntary industry safety standard in place in the U.S. before the first recall was announced last year.

Ikea announced Tuesday that it had refunded a small number of the millions of pieces of furniture recalled after at least 8 toddlers had been killed by falling Malm dressers. As in the first recall, Ikea again offered to refund or provide wall-anchoring kits for the dressers or chests affected by the recall.

Two-year-old Jozef Dudek was killed in May when an unsecured 3 drawer Malm dresser fell on him in his bedroom in Buena Park, California, shortly after his parents put him down for a rest. He is the 8th child who has died from an incident involving an Ikea dresser and the 4th killed specifically by the Malm product.

According to CNN, Ikea Malm dressers have been linked to [4]:

• 186 reports of dressers tipping;
• 9 injuries;
• 113 reports of other dressers tipping (53 of which caused injuries), and
• 8 children have died from injuries from recalled Ikea dressers since 1989.

Other IKEA lawsuits:

• IKEA Dressers Recalls Suits
• IKEA KULLEN Dresser Recall Suit
• IKEA Dinnerware Recall Suit

Statute of Limitations for IKEA Malm Recall Lawsuits

The statute of limitations for filing an IKEA Malm recall lawsuit varies by state but typically ranges from 1-3 years from the date of injury or death.

For cases involving children, many states toll (pause) the statute of limitations until the child reaches the age of majority (usually 18), giving families more time to pursue legal action.

Additionally, some states apply the “discovery rule,” meaning the time limit begins when you discovered or reasonably should have discovered that your injury was caused by a defective product. In wrongful death cases, the clock typically starts on the date of death.

Consulting with an attorney promptly is crucial to ensure you don’t miss important filing deadlines that could prevent you from seeking compensation.

FAQs

See all product liability claims S&C Law Firm is currently accepting.

Take Action Now: Time-Sensitive Legal Claims

Time is limited to pursue legal action for injuries or deaths caused by IKEA Malm furniture tip-overs. Most states only allow 1-3 years from the date of injury to file a claim, though special provisions may extend this timeline for children.

The devastating nature of furniture tip-over injuries, particularly those affecting young children, makes it essential to consult with experienced product liability attorneys as soon as possible after an incident.

Schmidt & Clark offers:

• Free, confidential consultations to evaluate your case
• No upfront costs or attorney fees
• Payment only if we win your case
• Nationwide representation with attorneys experienced in product liability litigation
• Proven success in securing meaningful compensation for furniture tip-over victims

Again, if your child or other loved one was injured in a tip-over accident involving Ikea furniture, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.

References

1. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2018/IKEA-Reannounces-Recall-of-MALM-and-Other-Models-of-Chests-and-Dressers-Due-to-Serious-Tip-over-Hazard

2. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2016/following-an-additional-child-fatality-ikea-recalls-29-million-malm-and-other-models-of

3. https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/21/health/ikea-dresser-recall-eighth-child-death/index.html

4. http://www.denverpost.com/2017/11/21/ikea-furniture-recall/