When Furniture Fails: The Hidden Dangers of Tip-Over Hazards at Home

Most people don’t think twice about the safety of their furniture, but that sense of security can be tragically misleading. Dressers, bookshelves, TV stands, and other everyday home furnishings may seem stable, but when poorly designed or improperly secured, they can pose a serious risk, especially to young children.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), furniture tip-overs cause thousands of injuries and several deaths each year. Many incidents involve toddlers climbing on dressers or pulling on unsecured TVs. Still, adults aren’t immune either; unstable shelving, collapsing chairs, and faulty home goods can lead to serious injuries in any household.

At Morgan & Morgan, we believe companies should be held accountable when their products put families at risk. If you or a loved one has been injured by unstable or defective furniture, you may be entitled to compensation through a product liability claim.

A Dangerous and Underestimated Threat

Furniture tip-over accidents can happen in seconds, and often without any warning. While some retailers have improved safety standards in recent years, many homes still contain items that are unstable by design, lacking proper anchoring systems or clear safety instructions.

Some of the most common household items associated with tip-over or collapse injuries include:

• Dressers and chests of drawers without wall anchors or with a high center of gravity.
• Bookshelves or entertainment centers that are top-heavy or unstable on carpeted surfaces.
• TVs placed on unstable furniture or unsecured mounts.
• Folding chairs or tables that collapse unexpectedly due to defective hinges or design flaws.
• Wall-mounted shelves or storage units that aren’t properly anchored or are sold without adequate hardware.

These hazards are particularly dangerous in homes with young children, elderly individuals, or pets who may accidentally disturb an object’s balance.

Common Injuries From Furniture Failures

The injuries that result from furniture-related accidents can be surprisingly serious. Victims may suffer:

• Head trauma or brain injuries from falling furniture, particularly in children.
• Crushed limbs or broken bones when heavy furniture lands on hands, feet, or torsos.
• Neck and spinal injuries from backward falls or sudden impact.
• Lacerations and contusions from sharp edges or shattered components.
• Internal injuries requiring hospitalization or surgery.

In the worst cases, furniture tip-overs can result in fatalities, especially when large items fall on small children. These tragic outcomes are often entirely preventable with safer design, proper warnings, or included anchoring systems.

Who’s Responsible When Furniture Fails?

Product liability law allows injured consumers to seek compensation when a product is defective or dangerous, even if they were using it correctly. Responsibility can lie with:

• Manufacturers, for designing unsafe products or using poor-quality materials.
• Retailers, for selling products known to be dangerous or previously recalled.
• Distributors, for failing to ensure that proper warning labels or safety components were included.
• Installers or assemblers, if a third party failed to secure a product properly when required.

Some furniture injuries stem from design defects, where the product is inherently unstable. Others involve manufacturing defects, such as missing or weak parts. In still other cases, it’s a failure to warn, where the product lacks instructions or hardware for proper anchoring.

What To Do After a Tip-Over Injury

If you or a loved one has been injured due to collapsing or tipping furniture, take these steps to protect your health and your legal rights:

• Seek medical attention immediately, even if injuries seem minor.
• Document everything, take photos of the scene, the damaged item, and any visible injuries.
• Preserve the product, don’t throw it out, or try to repair it. The condition of the furniture is key evidence.
• Check for recalls; many unstable products have been pulled from shelves after reported injuries.
• Speak with a product liability attorney to determine if you have a case.

How Morgan & Morgan Can Help

At Morgan & Morgan, we’re no strangers to holding big companies accountable for dangerous or defective products. Our attorneys have decades of experience fighting for injury victims and families affected by unsafe furniture and household goods.

We may be able to help you pursue compensation for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income or diminished earning ability
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage
• Wrongful death (in fatal cases)

They Built a Hazard: We’ll Build a Lawsuit

Furniture and home goods should never put your family in harm’s way. If a defective or unstable product has caused injury or loss, you deserve answers—and justice.

Contact Morgan & Morgan today for a free case evaluation. Because when manufacturers fail to protect your home, we fight For The People.