Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Another child has suffered some serious injuries in Chicago because of a falling TV, according to NBC Chicago.
A large, box-style television set reportedly fell off of a bookshelf and onto a 2-year-old girl. Local police say that the accident happened around 3 p.m. at the little girl’s home on South Union Street in Aurora. The child was transported to Rush-Copley Medical Center. It has not yet been determined how the television fell off the shelf.Our Chicago premises liability understand that there have been an overwhelming number of reports of TVs falling on children in the area in recent years.
Back in November, a 3-year-old was killed after a television fell on her in Hamilton Park. In October, a 6-year-old boy was killed after his television fell on his head. Just last month, a 4-year-old was killed. A 1-year-old and a 2-year-old were also killed earlier this month in similar tip-over situations.
These reports are causing some serious concern nationwide, too. As a matter of fact, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports there were nearly 250 deaths resulting from tip-over accidents from 2000 to 2010. All of these accident reports involved children under the age of 9. About 90 percent of these cases involved children who were under the age of 6. In nearly 60 percent of these reports, children were crushed by the weight of an appliance, a television or some kind of furniture. Nearly 70 percent of these fatalities were the result of injuries to the head.
The problem gets even worse. Approximately 22,000 children under the age of 9 were sent to emergency rooms from 2008 to 2010 because of injuries sustained in a tip-over accident. Again, a majority of these injuries were sustained to the victim’s head.
“Children like to climb on furniture. Placing TVs on furniture not intended for them or having furniture that is not secured can have tragic consequences,” said Chairman Inez Tenenbaum.
Tenenbaum would like to remind parents that these types of accidents can be easily prevented with a few low-cost steps, like anchoring down heavy devices, televisions, dressers, etc.
More Tips to Help Prevent Tip-Over Accidents:
-Anchor furniture to the floor or to the wall.
-Always put television sets on low, sturdy bases.
-Anchor your television to the furniture it’s on and then anchor that furniture to the wall or the floor.
-Push your furniture and television as close to the wall as possible.
-Keep toys, remote controls and other items children may be tempted to play with away from TV stands and other dangerous furniture.
-Remove all cable cords and electrical cords from a child’s reach.
-Always supervise children in rooms with these items.
-Be sure to equip your stoves and ranges with anti-tip brackets.
If you or your child has been injured in a Chicago tip-over accident, the injury attorneys and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes offer free consultations to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.
Additional Resources:
TV Falls On 2-Year-Old Girl, by Jennifer Schwarz, NBC Chicago
More Blog Entries:
Fatal Pedestrian Accident in Chicago Highlights Risk, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, February 10, 2012
Numerous Complaints Filed Against Driver accused of Causing Bus Accident in Illinois, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, February 5, 2012