In March of 2018, a news report, revealed that a little girl who was shopping with her family in a Payless store in Riverdale, GA was killed when a large mirror fell on her. The tragic story reminds parents of the importance to take safety measures to reduce the danger of their child being injured by large object tip-overs.
Under #Georgia law, if Payless knew, or should have known, about the mirror not being secured properly that they could be, and should be, held civilly liable for the tragic death of this little girl.
Such accidents involving little children and heavy furniture are too common, whether in a bedroom at home or in high-traffic areas like retail stores. Flat-panel TVs and dresser drawers are the two objects that usually come to mind, but there are many more dangers of tip-overs all around. On average, 1 child dies every 10 days when a TV or some type of furniture falls on them.
Here are some ways to prevent tip-over accidents:
Mount flat-screen TV's to the wall or to furniture to prevent them from tipping over.
If your TV cannot be mounted, place them on low, stable furniture designed to hold them, such as a TV stand or a media center and be sure to push the TV as far back on the furniture as possible.
Use an anti-tip device to anchor any non-wall-mounted TV to a wall or TV stand.
Use an anti-tip device to anchor unstable or top-heavy furniture of any height to a wall. New furniture such as dressers is typically sold with anti-tip devices, which should be installed immediately.
Keep TV and cable cords out of children's reach.
Follow the manufacturers' instructions for installing anti-tip devices correctly and for securing TVs and furniture properly. Always check attachment points to make sure anti-tip devices are secure.
The Consumer Products Safety Council maintains this excellent website as a resource for parents and businesses on how to reduce or eliminate the danger of child injury or death from tip-over accidents.