Citrus County Injury Attorney Blog
One child dies every two weeks and one consumer is injured every 15 minutes when a piece of furniture or a television falls over onto them, according to the CPSC.
As we all know, children will climb anything to reach an item that they want. However, the results of children climbing on furniture and TVs can and end in tragedy.
According to a new CPSC study, when a television falls from an average size dresser, it can actually fall with the force of thousands of pounds. That is a dangerously hard blow for anyone to take, especially for a young child.
Researchers with the CPSC conducted 38 drop tests simulating a tip-over of both cathode ray tube and flat screen TVs on top of furniture. Researchers concluded the following:
- The impact energy is generally much greater for a CRT TV than a flat screen. However, both had forces that can cause serious injury on impact.
- For acceleration of the TV, the impact was between 73 Gs and 240 Gs.
- For CRT TVs, the impact force was up to 12,700 pounds of force.
- For flat screen TVs, the force was up to 2,098 pounds of force.
With an impact force that matches thousands of pounds, no child can overpower falling TVs or furniture. Fortunately, the CPSC’s new “Anchor It” campaign demonstrates simple and low-cost steps that can prevent tip-over incidents.
The CPSC urges consumers to ponder four important questions before buying a new flat screen TV:
- Where will the old TV be placed?
- How will you secure the old TV in its new location?
- Will the new TV be mounted?
- How will you secure the TV if you are not mounting it?
A secured TV is mounted to the wall or anchored to furniture with straps, brackets, or braces to prevent the TV from sliding. Our Citrus County Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton urge you to secure your TV’s properly to prevent a deadly accident. It is equally important to remember to keep items that might tempt kids to climb, like toys and remote controls, away from the top of the TV and furniture. Store these items out of sight or in a secure area.
If your child has been injured in an accident, please call us at 352-726-0078 or contact us online for a free consultation. We can help you determine if you can file a claim for compensation.