Cases That Made A Difference

Public Notified of Deadly Crib Defect

In 1983, a 13-month-old baby was found hanged to death on the headboard of a crib made by Bassett Furniture. The girl's head was caught in a cut-out between the top corner post and a blanket roll, lifting her feet off the mattress.

A jury awarded the girl's parents compensatory and punitive damages. Bassett had stopped producing the cribs, which were associated with the deaths of nine children, in 1977. However, the company did not adequately notify crib owners. It sent modification kits to stores rather than to consumers and had refused a Consumer Product Safety Commission demand for a national press release, for which it was fined. This verdict prompted the company to speed up the recall and public notice.

Crusan v. Bassett Furniture Co., Cal., Sacramento Super. Ct., June 11, 1986.