Stove Tip Over Lawsuit Filed After Death of Two Year Old

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against a St. Louis apartment complex after an unsecured stove tipped over and crushed a two year old boy. 

The stove tip over lawsuit was filed by Deondre Watson, Sr. and Diana Taylor late last month against Oak Tree Apartments after their son died on July 11. According to a report by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Deondre Watson, Jr. died after the stove fell on him, and the lawsuit alleges that a simple safety bracket installed into the wall could have prevented the toddler’s death.

While rare, deaths due to falling appliances have claimed at least 34 lives in the United States since 1980, and safety advocates have been calling for widespread use of the cheap brackets. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there have been 107 incidents and 84 injuries from falling stoves between 1980 and 2006, with half of the injuries involving children under two years old and most were caused by hot liquids that splashed when the stoves fell.

The problem with stoves falling over, known as range tipping, began in the early 1980s as manufacturers began making them lighter. Since 1991, industry standards have required that the stoves come built with an inexpensive L-shaped bracket to prevent them from falling away from the wall, but many older stoves do not have them. The aftermarket price of the brackets is about $30.

In 2008, Sears settled a stove tipping class action lawsuit brought by customers for not having anti-tip brackets connected when their stoves were delivered. The settlement included gift cards and the installation of anti-tip devices for 3.9 million customers who bought Sears stoves.

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers has a brochure on range tipping that includes the following tips: 

• Make sure anti-tip devices are properly installed and contact the manufacturer for a replacement anti-tip device if necessary.
• Always keep the range door closed when not in use.
• Educate children on safe use of the stove.
• Never use the door as a step stool or to support weight of any kind.