YONKERS, N.Y. — Consumer Reports made the following statement today following an announcement of a settlement of a lawsuit filed against IKEA on behalf of 2-year-old Jozef Dudek, who was fatally injured by a tip-over of an IKEA Malm dresser. The announcement said the Dudek family will donate $1 million from the settlement to consumer organizations that have been advocating for more rigorous stability testing for dressers. The three organizations are Kids in Danger, Consumer Reports, and the Consumer Federation of America.
Marta Tellado, President and CEO of Consumer Reports, said, “We humbly thank the Dudek family for their contribution to CR. For more than a decade, CR has worked to ensure that unstable furniture posing a deadly hazard due to tip-over is off the market, and that people are aware of this potential danger.
“This gift will help us build upon our efforts, including testing to ensure the dressers we bring into our homes are safe, telling the stories of parents like the Dudeks who do not want this to happen to any other child, and fighting for mandatory standards and effective recalls. We will continue to educate consumers, both about preventative steps they can take and about the recalls of dangerous products, and work closely with parents and other safety advocates.
“Manufacturers and retailers should sell only dressers that meet a strong minimum stability standard, and should provide easy-to-use and accessible wall-anchoring kits for added safety. We are honored by the Dudek family’s gift, and will continue to warn people about the IKEA recall, in Jozef Dudek’s memory and to help prevent any more needless deaths.”
For more information on CR’s furniture tip-over work, including on IKEA dresser recalls, please visit CR.org/furnituretipover.
For more information on IKEA’s recall, please visit https://www.ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/product-support/recalls/ikea-chest-and-dresser-safety-recall-pub4b96e3c0
Contact: David Butler, dbutler@consumer.org
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit membership organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. For 80 years, CR has provided evidence-based product testing and ratings, rigorous research, hard-hitting investigative journalism, public education, and steadfast policy action on behalf of consumers’ interests. Unconstrained by advertising or other commercial influences, CR has exposed landmark public health and safety issues and strives to be a catalyst for pro-consumer changes in the marketplace. From championing responsible auto safety standards, to winning food and water protections, to enhancing healthcare quality, to fighting back against predatory lenders in the financial markets, Consumer Reports has always been on the front lines, raising the voices of consumers.