It most likely isn’t a parent’s primary concern when purchasing a new television set, and may only arise as a secondary thought, but a new study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has drawn attention the risk falling televisions and furniture pose to small children. It certainly has caught the attention of your Charleston, SC lawyers at Howell Law.
The Chairman of the CPSC, Inez Tenenbaum, noted in a CNN video interview that falling televisions and the furniture upon which they sit are a “severe hidden hazard in home.” And the some startling statistics support that contention; between 2000 and 2011 there were 206 child deaths due to TVs and furniture falling on children. In just the past three years there have been 13,800 ER visits from toppling TVs.
The Chairman further stated that, ideally, TVs should be wall-mounted so children do not have access to the freestanding television, and also so children cannot climb on potentially unstable furniture supporting the TV. Granted, this safety measure applies only to more modern, flat-screen television sets that can be wall-mounted.
If you do not own a flat-screen, it is strongly encouraged that the furniture and appliances on it be anchored in a way that prevents the pieces from toppling over, and preferably on a low sturdy base that is intended for TV use. TVs placed on pieces not designed for that specific use, such as tables, dressers, and bureaus, have been associated with many incidents of child injury and death. It takes just a few minutes and can protect your child from serious injuries or even wrongful death.
Your Charleston personal injury attorneys would like readers to heed the warnings noted above, and keep these considerations in mind when purchasing your next TV or TV stand. Small children are no match for a large television set or heavy piece of furniture. Children involved in these types of accidents often suffer severe head injuries, body injuries, and even death. Especially during this heightened season of buying, please put child safety first when making Holiday TV and furniture purchases.
For the original CNN interview with CPSC Chairman, Inez Tenenbaum, see “Source(s)” below, and for more tips from the CPSC concerning TV and furniture safety please click HERE.
Source(s): “Children at risk from big TVs”