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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

IKEA injured my child

136 replies

Bretonbabe · 15/04/2023 08:44

A shelving unit fell on my 3yo child at IKEA through no fault of his own, (confirmed by them with CCTV) it hit him in the head and pinned him against a wire basket by his neck. I was with him so it was mere seconds he was pinned. The shelving unit grazed & bruised his cheek, and the wire basket bruised his shoulder blade. He cried at first, then went into shock for a good 6hrs, then slept for a very long time due to the stress I think. He received first aid at the store, in the form of an ice pack. They also gave him cola moose sweets. An accident form was filled in, I asked for a copy, this was denied. I was polite but firm that I was understandably unhappy and wanted a full investigation into why this happened. I was told they would ring me the following day to check on my child’s well-being. They didn’t. Finding no way of contacting the individual store, I started a case with Resolver, said I wasn’t happy, no one had checked on my child’s well-being, etc. I then received a phone call a few days later from the same staff member who did the first aid. He asked after my child, agreed that he had suffered bruises & was clearly in shock. This was also when he told me CCTV had been reviewed & that it confirmed my son had not caused the shelving unit to fall. I asked why it had fallen, his answer “we don’t know” so I asked that they find out and give me an answer because how is it safe to go there for anyone!? It’s been a month & I’ve not heard anything. I’ve escalated the case with Resolver, but if nothing happens, or I just get an apology, should I just leave it? Is duty of care not a basic thing, or AIBU? His injuries were superficial but It could have been so much worse, it was so close to his eye. Witnesses were very distressed at the time. It was a horrible experience. We’ve not been back since.

OP posts:
alyceflowers · 15/04/2023 09:01

Children have been seriously injured and died from poorly secured and unsafe furniture falling on them in shops, so I think OP is right to pursue this.

Axahooxa · 15/04/2023 09:01

This is awful and the way they treated you both was or good enough.

please do report to health and safety. Id contact ikea head office too.

electriclight · 15/04/2023 09:01

My ds was hit on the head by a falling object in a Waitrose store. It wasn't his fault and he had a cut and a bruise. Their first aider was very kind and gave him an ice pack and a plaster, and a big bag of chocolate buttons. I was glad he was ok and that they made sure it couldn't happen again. It didn't occur to me to seek compensation. For what? We weren't out of pocket. Surely we don't want a litigious society like the US. Compensation for accidents that don't result in any sort of loss or injury would lead to people walking around shops trying to get injured. Like idiots who try to cause cars to run into the back of them so that they can claim for whiplash.

EsmeSusanOgg · 15/04/2023 09:02

DuesExMachina · 15/04/2023 08:57

Do this.

Get him checked by a GP and demand a copy of the incident report. You can make a data protection request for that.

A child could be seriously injured next time

Exactly this. It could indicate an issue with certain display set-ups, IKEA are not in the busienss of wanting children to be seriously injured or killed - no one is. It is best to get this properly escalated to prevent future incidents.

I am baffled by all the snide comments here. This is about reasonable expectations of safety in a major international chain.

horridjobescapee · 15/04/2023 09:02

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MyLordWizardKing · 15/04/2023 09:02

backawayfatty1 · 15/04/2023 08:57

It's frustrating when people comment about money as if that's the only point. Should ikea make a payment if they were at fault - yes most likely!

I can tell your concern is your child and getting to the route cause. It's awful that they haven't followed up. IKEA have a fix it policy where all items should be anchored so it definitely shouldn't have happened!

If I were you, I would contact IKEA by either writing to them, post on social media or contact their country CEO. You'll get a quicker reply if you go via social media/CEO.

Yes, this exactly. It's AIBU tradition for everyone to think the worst of the OP, but I think it's clear from your post that you're more concerned with why it happened and making sure it doesn't happen again.

notsayingmuch · 15/04/2023 09:03

I am sure that posters above understand that the OP is using the word shock to mean the everyday usage of being quiet/withdrawn/upset rather than the medical meaning.

I agree that the store should be treating this as a serious event that should not happen. Children have been killed in stores when fixtures have fallen on them so they need to take this seriously.

DuesExMachina · 15/04/2023 09:03

ComeTheFuckOnBridgett · 15/04/2023 08:59

I'm not sure getting/trying to get money out of them would solve much. I'm assuming your son is fine and hasn't got life changing injuries from it. So you won't need extra funds to pay for care/equipment. Just let them say sorry and move on from it. I'm going to guess that they've sorted the problem and won't let it happen again.

Where does she say she wants money?

Beneficialchampion2 · 15/04/2023 09:04

You're all ribbing the OP for wanting a claim but a robust investigation should take place to determine a clear causal factor to prevent this from happening again. Furniture falling over can kill young children. A similar scenario happened nearly twenty years ago when a young child was killed by a door that fell on them at a hardware chain in the UK.

Think how you'd behave if it were one of your children

Personally I would contact the HSE, this is totally within their remit not the local authority. Explain what has happened and they will follow up.

Juiceboxxy · 15/04/2023 09:04

I don't think you understand medical shock

Beneficialchampion2 · 15/04/2023 09:05

Also I would contact their customer service in twitter and threaten to out the incident if they don't resolve it properly. Usually does the trick.

Freshstarts22 · 15/04/2023 09:05

I don’t know why everybody is being funny about compensation. Imo there’s nothing wrong with compensation in a situation like this. It’s a major retailer and given the nature of what they sell h&s should be priority.
It should not have been able to happen and their reaction seems poor.

EsmeSusanOgg · 15/04/2023 09:05

notsayingmuch · 15/04/2023 09:03

I am sure that posters above understand that the OP is using the word shock to mean the everyday usage of being quiet/withdrawn/upset rather than the medical meaning.

I agree that the store should be treating this as a serious event that should not happen. Children have been killed in stores when fixtures have fallen on them so they need to take this seriously.

Thank you! I think people are going deliberately obtuse and unkind to OP. She is asking for advice because she is concerned about what happened to her child and does not believe the store handled it very well.

OutDamnedSpot · 15/04/2023 09:07

I’m really surprised by some of the answers you’re getting here. It sounds scary and I’m not surprised you want answers about what happened and reassurance it won’t happen again.

I hope DS is okay and that get more information soon.

SunnySaturdayMorning · 15/04/2023 09:07

YABU. They are a business - they do not have a duty of first aid to a customer.

They also do not have to make you aware of any outcome of their investigations.

ColdAsAWitchsTit · 15/04/2023 09:07

It's not the HSE, it's a local authority issue. Contact Environmental Health at your LA.

frenchnoodle · 15/04/2023 09:07

Think how you'd behave if it were one of your children

I'd be communicating via email instead of phone and would have photographed the incident report.

I wouldn't claim but I'd make sure there was a paper trail because once they know the threat of a claim is possible they will take an investigation seriously.

Unfortunately that's how you have to be with big companies.

CantBeArsedOrAsked · 15/04/2023 09:07

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Why not say what you mean and ask why the child wasn't taken to A&E?
It's obvious from the OP that the child wasn't taken there.

SalmonEile · 15/04/2023 09:08

electriclight · 15/04/2023 09:01

My ds was hit on the head by a falling object in a Waitrose store. It wasn't his fault and he had a cut and a bruise. Their first aider was very kind and gave him an ice pack and a plaster, and a big bag of chocolate buttons. I was glad he was ok and that they made sure it couldn't happen again. It didn't occur to me to seek compensation. For what? We weren't out of pocket. Surely we don't want a litigious society like the US. Compensation for accidents that don't result in any sort of loss or injury would lead to people walking around shops trying to get injured. Like idiots who try to cause cars to run into the back of them so that they can claim for whiplash.

The key difference in your story is the shop made sure it couldn’t happen again.
That hasn’t happened with this IKEA as far as the OP is aware and that’s what she’s trying to find out
she didn’t mention compensation at all

Makewayforsummer · 15/04/2023 09:08

Do you mean he was in shock for 6 hours or do you mean he was upset? You mention he went to sleep so he couldn’t be both upset and asleep at the same time.

Chestnut12 · 15/04/2023 09:08

i think it’s definitely worth pursuing. This should absolutely not be happening in a store full of large heavy furniture items. If this shelf was loose then what does that say about their safety checks for other larger things?
agree with pp mentioning previous incidents - ill never forget the incident at Hugo Boss in Bicester where a small child was killed by a large free standing mirror.
and perhaps op is entitled to some compensation for the upset this has caused - no one should have to visit a store and come out with a young injured child!

IncompleteSenten · 15/04/2023 09:09

The op's not said a bloody word about wanting cash and has been very clear she wants to know why this happened, how the store will ensure it doesn't happen again and then to appear to give a shit.

Perfectly reasonable!

DyslexicPoster · 15/04/2023 09:12

I didn't see the op ask for money?

When my eldest was a baby his pram wheel got stuck in car park lift and the door wouldn't release it. I was sure that was a fault so complained. Not for cash but to point out that if the door is jamming shut and I couldn't release it, that could be someone's foot. My kids hand etc. It was brushed off. Fine. Then if someone had their fingers trapped and the lift moved I would have a clear conscious if nothing else.
Like if that child was crushed to death by a shop display, the person who noticed it move days before can feel they could have done nothing more to prevent a child's death.

HalliwellManor · 15/04/2023 09:12

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electriclight · 15/04/2023 09:12

To pursue a personal injury claim for compensation you'd need to prove that the accident was due to negligence and that there was some sort of injury - I am not sure whether the incident you describe does constitute 'injury.'

You know that they have reviewed cctv footage and ascertained that your son was not at fault. Presumably, they have now established what happened and dealt with it. I don't think they are obliged to talk to you about that.