Ikea to pay $46 million after child killed by falling drawers

Ikea, the Swedish furniture giant, has agreed to pay $46 million to the parents of a child who was killed when a chest of drawers fell on him, it was reported on Tuesday.

The two-year-old Jozef Dudek, 2, suffocated to death in May 2017 when the company's Malm drawers toppled over at the family's California home, the BBC said in a report.

The item, which weighs 32kg, had been recalled a year earlier over safety concerns after three other children were also killed.

It is the largest child wrongful death settlement in US history, according to lawyers.

“While no settlement can alter the tragic events that brought us here, for the sake of the family and all involved, we're grateful that this litigation has reached a resolution,” a spokeswoman for Ikea said on Monday.

“We remain committed to working to address this very important home safety issue,” she added.

In 2016, Ikea recalled millions of the Malm drawers in North America over safety concerns. It was the largest recall in the company's history.

Initially, the company warned customers to use wall mounts with them but the death of a third child prompted the action.

Indo-Asian News Service