Ikea Reaches $46 Million Settlement With California Family For 2-Year-Old Crushed To Death By Ikea Dresser

Ikea has reached a settlement with the California parents who sued the furniture company after a dresser fell and crushed their toddler son.

An Ikea spokesperson said the company agreed to pay the Dudek family $46 million to settle the lawsuit stemming from the death of Jozef Dudek, 2, in May 2017. The Dudek said they would be donating $1 million to child safety advocacy groups.

Ikea also issued a public apology as part of the settlement.

"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. Product safety is a top priority for Ikea and at the core of the design process every day. Again, we offer our deepest condolences to the family," the statement read.

The accident happened after Jozef’s father had reportedly had been put down for a nap. Daniel Mann, spokesperson and lawyer for Jozef’s parents, said Jozef “must have gotten up at some point” and walked over to the dresser, pulling on one of the drawers before it collapsed on him. His father then rushed in and reportedly found Jozef dead from asphyxiation.

The dresser was identified as a Malm dresser the Dudeks said they had purchased in 2008. However, Ikea recalled the dresser in 2016 after 300 reported incidents involving the dresser that injured 144 children.

The Dudeks in 2018 filed a subsequent wrongful death lawsuit against Ikea in a Philadelphia court. They accused the company of failing to warn consumers of the dresser’s problems.

Ikea will be required to increase outreach to customers and notify them about the Malm recall. It will also work with the Parents Against Tip-Overs to help ensure safer designs for future products.