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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:
SoShallINever · 15/04/2023 09:26

When my Dd was a baby she picked up a tube of baby moisturiser (Johnsons) as I was dressing her and the edge was so sharp it cut her face badly.
I wrote to them and received a thank you for informing them, a promise to change the design and huge box of their products.
I didn't really want the products but I was delighted that they were pledging to change the design. Except 10 years down the line they still hadn't bothered. I used to sand down the edges myself to smooth them. It's so bloody annoying when big companies don't take action.
I hope you contact the HSE and let them deal with this.

Takeachance18 · 15/04/2023 09:26

Contact your local environmental health who enforce health and safety in retail premises. There is the potential for this to happen to another child and them not be so lucky. Given the instructions to tether units at home for this reason, it is reasonable to expect them to do the same in store.

Redburnett · 15/04/2023 09:27

Check if your household insurance covers such events and use it to make a claim if so. I agree with reporting to HSE as well.
The company has behaved incredibly badly over this incident so you should definitely pursue it with a claim.

MummyDummyNow · 15/04/2023 09:27

@Babelfishfingers why be like that? I can think of two awful incidents where children have died from falling furniture in shops. One in Hugo Boss in Bicester and one in Top Shop in Reading, and that's just off the top of my head.

One child's death from this kind of thing is one too many. But perhaps you want a wave of several incidents before you'll take it seriously?

OP I hope you and your son are ok and ikea deal with this properly.

purpledalmation · 15/04/2023 09:29

I would, at the minimum expect a full apology from the store. They should give him the choice of some nice toys of his choice. Suing would be problematic if he makes a full recovery in such a short time, but I'd expect something from them.

Babelfishfingers · 15/04/2023 09:29

Bamboux · 15/04/2023 09:23

Why are you being so unpleasant? It is a frequent and horrible thing.

I was in Colchester a couple of years ago and on the day I arrived they had closed one of the big high street stores because a mirror had fallen on a little boy. He died.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-five-year-old-killed-24904051

Here's another one that happened in Reading which killed a 10 year old.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ten-year-old-boy-dies-furniture-falls-topshop-oracle-shopping-centre-reading-berkshire-a7578751.html

IKEA paid out 40 million dollars after three toddlers were killed in separate incidents by Malm furniture falling over.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/ikea-pay-50-million-families-of-three-toddlers-crushed-to-death-flat-pack-furniture-chest-a7490186.html

Why do you think this is so funny?

I asked a question. For some backgound info to support your assertion. It was not unpleasant.
And you assume I think this is funny. Nowhere on my post did I indicate that such incidents were funny
So do not accuse me of inappropriate posting

MummyDummyNow · 15/04/2023 09:29

@Backtobed she wants ikea to make sure this doesn't happen again!

Hibernating80 · 15/04/2023 09:30

My daughter had an incident at M&S when her arm got briefly trapped in a lift door, briefly because I was there and yanked it out. I told her not to touch the doors and it all happened very quickly. M&S head office didn't care unfortunately. They investigated superficially and they didn't even put up warning signs. I hope it doesn't happen again.

Crazykatie · 15/04/2023 09:32

Bamboux · 15/04/2023 09:24

They were in the shop.

In that case there is no defence they should display it safely, if children are in the shop and could pull an object down they are liable, I would create hell.

Lifesagamethentheytaketheboardaway · 15/04/2023 09:33

More than one child has been killed in ikea. Stuff still falls because it is not properly secured. They’re not going to, “make sure it doesn’t happen again.” It will.

The problem is that the people putting the displayed together are individual people. No matter what policy they put in place, people will still not always follow it.

It is going to happen again. Just keep reporting it. You need to report this to the local authority rather than just going through ikea themselves.

If you son was hospitalised in shock for 6 hours then that is quite serious. If he didn’t actually go into shock and you mean he was just withdrawn and quiet then you need to say that. Don’t say he went into shock.

vera99 · 15/04/2023 09:33

On a slightly different route I tried to get money back for a sofa that was misold on size. Raised it with customer complaints, failed then went to the office of the CEO failed. Then small claims court where they appointed a solicitor and tried to get it moved to a court far from where I lived. I won in the end - but they fight to the bitter end in the hope you give up.

Purplebunnie · 15/04/2023 09:34

Ye gods, a child was killed in Bicester village due to a mirror falling and hitting him and you lot are minimising an accident to another child. OP please continue to escalate, if another child got hurt or worse you would never forgive yourself

FloatingRodger · 15/04/2023 09:34

A few years ago a child was killed by a heavy unsecured mirror falling on him in a shop. But yeah according to everyone here "we don't know why a piece of furniture fell on your child" is a perfectly fine response here and you've even got a poster "guessing" that this means the problem is now solved.

Ffs they need to do very basic investigations and see what guidelines were either ignored or didn't exist to allow this to happen. They need to be able to say they know how to prevent this happening again!

Linio · 15/04/2023 09:35

If you’re after monetary compensation, and I don’t think you are as that’s not the impression I got from your post, then what’s your loss? What’s your financial damage?

If you feel they haven’t done enough after a serious incident then I would agree. Definitely contact the council and the Health and Safety Executive. I would expect an official investigation into it rather than a simple “oh we watched the CCTV and we don’t know what happened”

TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl · 15/04/2023 09:36

Oh I’m so happy your son is OK!

Accidents happen and it sounds like a rare one off fluke rather than negligence. However that’s not a good enough apology IMO and poor practice as well. My DD burnt her fingers on a scorching hot plate at Pizza Express, her tiny fingertips formed little blisters and we got a £200 voucher!

ExasperatedbyJanuary · 15/04/2023 09:37

ReadersD1gest · 15/04/2023 09:16

Was he running about, op? When you say "no fault of his own' do you mean it literally catapulted from the ceiling as he passed by without him touching it at all?
If you were by his side it's odd you weren't pinned beneath it too.

Lots of obnoxious comments on this thread, but this one stood out.

Why would the child have been ‘running about’? Why would anyone else in the vicinity necessarily have been hit too?! You have no idea about the actual positions/dimensions of the incident so are clearly just being contrary for the sake of a dig. Pathetic.

TrashyPanda · 15/04/2023 09:37

what treatment the hospital give when you took in him with this long a period of shock?

shock is a serious condition which always requires hospitalisation

notsayingmuch · 15/04/2023 09:38

Babelfishfingers · 15/04/2023 09:13

Ooh, please do send links/info about this epidemic of falling shop furniture.
I hadn't realised it was so widespread

Just pulling this quote so we can see how seriously Babelfish was taking the incident.

Sandra1984 · 15/04/2023 09:38

You should have a proper paper trail: taken a phone picture of the injury in it's various stages, take a photo of the accident site and dangerous shelves, taken a picture of that form you had to sign (the one they refused to give you a copy) and have some doctor record. Two days after you call a solicitor and tell them your case. He/she will tell you if the case is worth pursuing or not.

vera99 · 15/04/2023 09:38

Try one of these no win no fee claim solicitors. If they will take it on then there is a good chance they will win if not then there's your answer compensation wise.

NowZeusHasLainWithLeda · 15/04/2023 09:40

Hibernating80 · 15/04/2023 09:30

My daughter had an incident at M&S when her arm got briefly trapped in a lift door, briefly because I was there and yanked it out. I told her not to touch the doors and it all happened very quickly. M&S head office didn't care unfortunately. They investigated superficially and they didn't even put up warning signs. I hope it doesn't happen again.

Your daughter had an incident in M&S because you weren't keeping an eye on her.
How the fuck is that the store's fault?

Reminds me of one of my favourite Mumsnet threads which I'm sure other old timers will remember...the Dad who took his kid to the loo on a Ryanair flight and the kid trapped its fingers in the door and the Dad wanted to sue the arse off Ryanair because he hadn't kept a close enough eye on the kid.

Tempone · 15/04/2023 09:41

Op if it's an apology you are seeking you could probably just go back to the store, maybe write an email to their md or ceo which you can probably get online.

Oysterbabe · 15/04/2023 09:41

You could probably get some compensation for your child it happened as you say. It would be hundreds not thousands though.

ExasperatedbyJanuary · 15/04/2023 09:45

NowZeusHasLainWithLeda · 15/04/2023 09:40

Your daughter had an incident in M&S because you weren't keeping an eye on her.
How the fuck is that the store's fault?

Reminds me of one of my favourite Mumsnet threads which I'm sure other old timers will remember...the Dad who took his kid to the loo on a Ryanair flight and the kid trapped its fingers in the door and the Dad wanted to sue the arse off Ryanair because he hadn't kept a close enough eye on the kid.

Why assume that? The PP said she was right there by her daughter. More likely the lift was malfunctioning. Some people seem to be hardwired to be objectionable to any and all posters.

Glassfullofdreams · 15/04/2023 09:45

It was a freak accident. It's unfortunate that it happened to your child, but accidents happen. Maybe IKEA did look into the incident and there is honestly no explanation for what happened, hence it being an accident.

Your child clearly wasn't seriously harmed otherwise I'm sure you would have mentioned a trip to A&E in your post.

There's no need to take it any further. It's time to move on. You won't make any money out of it, which is what it sounds like you're hoping for. You don't have to sue someone over every minor incident these days.