Ikea to pay $46 million to parents of two-year-old boy who died when dresser fell on top of him

Ikea will pay $46million to the parents of a two-year-old boy who was crushed to death by one of the company’s dressers that tipped over in his bedroom in 2017.

The settlement was announced on Monday by attorneys for Craig and Joleen Dudek, a California couple whose two-year-old son, Jozef, died in May 2017.

The Dudeks’ lawyers believe it is the largest settlement resulting in the wrongful death of a child every paid out in United States history.

The $46million sum is almost three times the amount paid in 2016 to settle similar lawsuits filed by parents of other kids killed in tip-overs of its dressers.

Three families split $50million between them in that 2016 court case.

A spokesperson for Ikea confirmed the settlement on Monday, telling DailyMail.com: ‘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.

Jozef Dudek

Jozef Dudek, 2, was killed in May 2017 after a dresser his parents bought from Ikea fell on top of him

Young Josef Dudek is seen in the above undated file photo with his parents Joleen and Craig Dudek. The parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ikea, the Swedish furniture maker

Young Josef Dudek is seen in the above undated file photo with his parents Joleen and Craig Dudek. The parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ikea, the Swedish furniture maker

Joleen and Craig Dudek, top right, comfort each other as they join a news conference in Philadelphia via video on Monday. The news conference was held by the couple's lawyers (seen seated to the left)

Joleen and Craig Dudek, top right, comfort each other as they join a news conference in Philadelphia via video on Monday. The news conference was held by the couple’s lawyers (seen seated to the left)

Jozef is believed to have been the first child who was killed by the Malm 3 dresser (seen in the above stock image) after the company announced a recall of the unit in 2016

Jozef is believed to have been the first child who was killed by the Malm 3 dresser (seen in the above stock image) after the company announced a recall of the unit in 2016

‘We remain committed to working proactively and collaboratively to address this very important home safety issue.

‘Again, we offer our deepest condolences.’

Dudek’s mother, Joleen, told USA Today: ‘We miss him so much.

‘He would be turning 5 this year in April.

‘We never thought that a two year old could cause a short 30-inch dresser to tip over and suffocate him.

‘It was only later that we learned that this dresser was designed unstable and did not meet safety standards and that this had happened to other little boys.’

At least nine children are believed to have died as a result of Ikea dressers that have tipped over.

Most of those incidents happened when the child pulled on a drawer of the unit, tipping it forward.

Jozef was killed when a three-drawer Malm dresser fell on him in the bedroom of his home after his parents put him down for a nap.

The boy was in his bedroom alone when the accident happened and was found trapped under the dresser by his father.

He is the fourth child killed specifically by the Malm product.

Jozef is believed to be the first confirmed death since Ikea recalled the dresser in 2016.

Dudek’s mother, Joleen, told USA Today: ‘We miss him so much. He would be turning 5 this year in April. We never thought that a two year old could cause a short 30-inch dresser to tip over and suffocate him.' The parents are seen above shortly after Jozef's birth in April 2015

Dudek’s mother, Joleen, told USA Today: ‘We miss him so much. He would be turning 5 this year in April. We never thought that a two year old could cause a short 30-inch dresser to tip over and suffocate him.’ The parents are seen above shortly after Jozef’s birth in April 2015

A spokesperson for Ikea confirmed the settlement on Monday, telling DailyMail.com: ‘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 spokesperson for Ikea confirmed the settlement on Monday, telling DailyMail.com: ‘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’

Ikea says that in the three years since the Malm dresser was recalled, the company has destroyed 420,000 returned units.

The company also says it has provided customers with 1.05 million anchoring kits.

Safety advocates say, however, that there are likely millions of unstable dressers in consumers’ homes today.

Ikea has been accused of not doing enough to alert customers of the dangers posed by products already purchased.

As per the terms of the settlement with the Dudek family, Ikea’s president, Javier Quinones, agreed to meet with Parents Against Tip-Overs, an advocacy group made up of people who have lost their children to tipped over bureaus and drawers.

Quinones reportedly wanted to meet last year, but eventually decided to postpone the sit-down due to pending litigation.

Janet McGee, whose two-year-old son Ted also died when an Ikea-made dresser tipped over onto him in the family’s Minnesota home in 2016, is a member of Parents Against Tip-Overs.

Curran Collas was killed in 2014 when he was crushed by an Ikea dresser.

Curran Collas is pictured above with mom Jackie

Curran Collas (pictured left and right with his mother Jackie) was killed in 2014 when he was crushed by an Ikea dresser

Ted McGee (pictured with mom Janet) was killed in 2012 when he was crushed by an Ikea dresser

Ted McGee (pictured with mom Janet) was killed in 2012 when he was crushed by an Ikea dresser

Washington State toddler Camden Ellis, 2, was found trapped underneath a 3-drawer Malm dresser in June 2014 and died after four days on a ventilator

Washington State toddler Camden Ellis, 2, was found trapped underneath a 3-drawer Malm dresser in June 2014 and died after four days on a ventilator

She said she plans to tell Quinones that his company’s recall of the dresser has been ineffective.

McGee says she noticed a number of people still selling the dresser on Facebook marketplace.

When she reached out to the sellers and informed them there had been a recall of the product, she says they told her they were not even aware of it.

‘Ikea has to do more to get this message out to consumers,’ McGee said.

‘This is exactly why Jozef Dudek died, because they did not get this message out to consumers.’

Two other toddlers, Curran Collas of Pennsylvania and Camden Ellis of Washington, died between 2012 and 2014 after similar incidents.

The Collas, Ellis, and McGee families split the $50million settlement between them.

A two-year-old boy from Woodbridge, Virginia, also died in September 2011, while toddlers also died in 1989, 2002 and 2007 in similar incidents.

Ikea recalled a total of 29 million items sold in the US in 2016 after the products failed industry safety tests because they could fall over when unattached to a wall. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk