The daughter of an 80-year-old Illinois woman filed a civil suit against the companies that design and manufacture Sleep Number Beds, claiming that her mother was trapped between the adjustable bed and her bedroom wall for two days after it “moved without warning.” That ultimately led to her death a month later, Missouri court records state.
The lawsuit, filed Dec. 10 in the Circuit Court for St. Louis County by Angela Moan of Alton, Illinois, stated that her mother, Rosalind Walker of Godfrey, died on April 3, 2023. According to the complaint, on March 1, 2023, the bed’s “adjustable foundation was in a raised position” and Walker was between the bed and her bedroom wall when the bed “lowered without warning with such force” that the woman was trapped for two days.
Walker was freed by first responders on March 3, 2023, The Kansas City Star reported. She was hospitalized and then transferred to a rehabilitation center, according to the newspaper. She was released into home hospice care and died on April 3, NBC News reported.
“She suffered the entire time until she died,” the suit alleges.
Moan filed the civil suit against Sleep Number Corporation and Leggett & Platt Incorporated, the companies that manufactured, marketed, sold and warrantied the bed, NBC News reported.
According to court documents, Walker bought a Sleep Number bed in Brentwood, Missouri, on Oct. 19, 2014. The product had a 25-year warranty.
The complaint alleges that Sleep Number Corporation “breached the duty of reasonable care” by not providing adequate instructions. There was no cautionary language that might have alerted Walker to the possibility of being trapped, the suit alleges.
According to the complaint, the bed was set on a timer, causing it to decline automatically without warning. It also did not have a release mechanism that would have permitted Walker to free herself, NBC News reported.
Woman is killed by her Sleep Number bed, lawsuit says. ‘She suffered the entire time’ https://t.co/xdVi5pIxJD
— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) December 11, 2024
“Sleep Number Corporation is strictly liable for Mrs. Walker’s injuries, her suffering, and her death,” the complaint states. “The Sleep Number Bed was defective and unreasonably dangerous in its design and lack of warning.”
“The suit alleges that a malfunctioning adjustable base purchased in 2014 was a contributing factor in the death of Rosalind Walker,” Sleep Number said in a statement to the Star and McClatchy News. “We understand that this incident is alleged to have occurred in March 2023; we were notified of the alleged incident after the lawsuit was filed yesterday, Dec. 10. We extend our sincere condolences to the family of Ms. Walker for their tragic loss.
“Currently, our legal team is reviewing the lawsuit. Sleep Number stands by the design and safety of its products and is complying with any necessary inquiries or actions.”
Leggett & Platt Inc. did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment on Thursday.
The lawsuit is asking for an undetermined amount in damages, the Star reported. Court documents stated that Moan is seeking an amount “that is fair and reasonable” and higher than the jurisdictional amount of $25,000.
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