What sounds like a freak accident happens more than most people think. Every year, children suffer serious injuries or are killed by televisions falling and crushing them. Three Chicago-area children have died in recent accidents involving televisions. The issue is so prevalent that the Child Injury Prevention Alliance and the Center for Injury Research and Policy are joining together to conduct a nationwide survey of TV-related fatalities and injuries.
Most people do not secure their televisions with safety straps or anchors. Such safety tools are not standard equipment when you buy a television, so owners may not realize how important these items are. Televisions are relatively heavy and are often placed on stands which are the perfect height for children to pull the television down on top of themselves. Without safety straps or anchors to hold the television in place, it is an accident waiting to happen.
The three preventable deaths in such short order have drawn the attention manufacturers. While no state or federal laws exist which would require manufacturers to include safety equipment, the organization that is tasked with setting voluntary standards for TV and TV stand makers has decided to revisit those standards. The risk of a TV tipping over and crushing a child is simply too high to ignore.
Families with children and anyone who might have small children in their homes should not wait for the industry to require proper safety. A television on a stand can threaten a child’s life. By making the effort to properly secure the television in place, you could prevent a terrible tragedy. For at least three Chicago families, understanding of the danger came too late.
If you or your loved one has been injured in a similar accident that has occurred at the home of another individual, you may have grounds to file a damages lawsuit.
Asking a personal injury lawyer in Illinois is the first step that you can take to finding out if you have a claim.
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