With the start of a new college football season, fans all across the South will be spending Saturdays in front the television watching their favorite teams. With televisions growing larger and larger every year, there are some safety risks that can be easily overlooked until it is too late and someone has suffered a serious injury. The most critical is television tip-over. While this might not seem serious at first-blush, the following statistic hits home: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently issued a report indicating that a child dies every 3 weeks from a television tip-over.
The following facts further put the risk of injury from television tip-over in perspective:
- Over the past 10 years, there has been a 31% increase in injuries from TVs tipping over.
- Seven out of 10 children injured by TV tip-overs are 5-years-old or younger.
- A 36-inch CRT television falling three feet creates the same momentum as a 1-year-old child falling 10 stories.
- Approximately $8.3 million is spent each year in medical costs to treat children ages 19 and under in emergency rooms from TV tip-over injuries.
- In 2011 alone, there were 12,801 injuries caused by television tip-overs.
This football season, make sure your home is safe for your children and your guests. Secure your television set to the wall or otherwise anchor it.
If you or a loved one has suffered personal injuries from a company improperly installing equipment of any kind, our firm is here to help. Please contact us to speak to a personal injury lawyer.