Child Killed By Tipped TV

This is a reminder for everyone to take a look at their own televisions if you have children or have children visit your home. These accidents do not need to happen and can be easily prevented.

(CBS 11 News) PLANO The TVs you own can pose a deadly hazard to your children. A North Texas family knows the anguish firsthand after a television set fell and killed their daughter.

According to Consumer Reports, in the first seven months of 2006, 10 children died after a TV fell on them – that's twice the typical yearly average.

http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_255193504.html

Gosh, how sad....this just happened in LA county this year or last year. The child pulled the drawer out on the dresser and climbed up to change a channel...or that is what they think.

It also occurs with stoves, refrigerators, and other appliances. They should be secured to the wall or the floor.

There was a rash of these unfortunate accidents in the Houston area a couple of years ago. It can happen even with tv stands that seem safe--we had a larger but not super sized tv sitting on a low stand with the typical drawer for storage in our game room. (from a major furniture store.) My then two-year old pulled out the drawer and the tv swayed towards her.

We really need more publicity about this kind of accident!

That happened to my sister when she was 2. Didn't kill her, though, just gave her one hell of a headache, and a Hey Arnold head for a few days.

So sad for this poor family!

I agree that it can happen with any piece of furniture, but it is also nothing new. TVs have just gotten bigger.

When I was about 6 we had one of those TV stands with a magazine rack on the bottom...kind of a rolling cart with a little b&w TV on it. It was in my parents' bedroom and we'd watch it when my mom blew dry my hair at night.

I had my feet on the magazine rack part and the TV tipped and fell on my head. I remember them calling a friend who was a doctor down the street to see if I needed stitches, and holding my hands over my head and refusing to allow him to look at it. In the end I was more trouble than I was worth and they just let it heal.

I still have a scar in the middle of my part. When I think of it now it scares the hell out of me!

(It explains a lot, doesn't it?) :angel:

I have told this story on similar threads....
But this happened to our son once..

I had this old curio cabinet that we kept our TV on ... I always thought it was dangerous because the Tv was high up and I thought one of the children would pull it over on themselves...
SO I go to Walmart and buy a TV stand.... Specifically intended for a tv. (one slightly larger then what we had)
The moment I set the thing up .... I thought ... Hell NO.. so I planned to return it the next day..
That night while I was putting our youngest to bed and hubby was making a bottle our toddler pulled the whole thing onto himself.
We are sooo lucky it only grazed his head.
He needed stitches and the house looked like a murder had occurred... but he was fine.
Turned out my very heavy old curio cabinet was safer.

I really think all heavy items like TV's and cabinets.. dressers.. need to have a very clear warning.
Parents simply do not think that a tiny toddler has enough strength to pull something like that onto themselves.

After that all of our furniture was anchored to the walls.

My rule of thumb is that even if it does not look dangerous, a toddler will make it so. As a parent of 2 toddlers i really think they are on a quest to injure themselves. the new issue of parents i belive has a thing in it about furniture anchors.
mine kept climing on the table so i took the 2 chairs and placed them on top of the table in the regular upright position thinking I did something smart that would help them not get hurt. WRONG! my son reached up and grabbed a leg and it came down, i was standing there so i was able to pull him out of the way. The only injury he had was my fingermarks on his arm b/c I pulled him back so hard and quickly. The chair could have really hurt him.

I keep a fairly large tv in their room for my grands...it is placed solidly on the floor with no stand. They curl up on pillows to watch it or play games. I have tried to tip it over with no success...but just in case...they aren't allowed to sit closely enough to be directly in the path if it does.