North County San Diego Injury Lawyers
Nobody expects their bedroom furniture to cause serious injury or death, yet accidents involving bedroom furniture occur more frequently than you might think. For example, certain dressers have been subject to recalls after tipping over and causing fatal injuries to children caught underneath them. Certain types of beds, too, have been known to cause serious and debilitating injuries. Although a Murphy bed might seem like a great solution for a small space, these particular types of beds are much more dangerous than others. And the injury risks associated with these beds have been well-documented, yet consumers continue to purchase and use them. What do you need to know about Murphy beds and personal injuries in Rancho Bernardo?
Murphy Beds Cause Broken Bones and Amputations
As the Sleep Foundation points out, Murphy beds are especially popular for people in urban areas where “space is at a premium.” In small rooms and apartments, it is precisely what gives Murphy beds their “relatively small footprint” that makes them so hazardous. Indeed, Murphy beds have mechanisms that allow them to be folded up into the wall, and then pulled down again when it is time for sleeping. Accordingly, “people who live in small apartments have long looked to Murphy beds to provide a sleeping arrangement that doesn’t sacrifice space.”
Given that Murphy beds fold up into the wall, they have been known to result in injuries caused by trapped fingers and hands, as well as other parts of the body, when the bed gets folded. These beds are heavy, weighing in at anywhere between 250 and over 500 pounds, with various types of folding mechanisms. As such, when fingers or toes, or other body parts, get stuck in the Murphy bed as it is folding up, the injuries can be severe. Indeed, adults routinely suffer broken bones and even amputations. Kids can be at even greater risk of a serious Murphy bed injury. When children get a hand or an arm stuck, it can be devastating, and younger children can even suffocate and sustain fatal injuries as a result of Murphy beds.
Long History of Murphy Bed Dangers
The dangers associated with Murphy beds have been known for over a century. The story of Murphy bed injuries begins in 1904, according to an article in The New York Times, when a woman’s “foldaway bed lurched up and slammed shut in the middle of the night.” As the article explains, she “got one arm out of the bed and beat on the floor until help came,” yet by that point “three cervical vertebrae in her neck were crushed, and she died hours later on a surgeon’s table.” Murphy beds have gotten safer in the last 100 years, but they are still dangerous.
Indeed, as The New York Times article underscores, a “Murphy bed can kill you.” Although common Murphy bed injuries are different from those often-fatal injuries sustained in the early part of the 20th century, even a broken arm or an amputated finger can be permanently debilitating.
Contact a Rancho Bernardo Personal Injury Attorney
Do you need help filing a claim after a Murphy bed injury? One of our experienced Rancho Bernardo personal injury lawyers is here to help. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.
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