Lane Home Furnishings Wants to Avoid Future Cedar Chest Claims
By Michelle Logsdon - March 21, 2002A cedar chest is an attractive addition to any home but it can also be a dangerously attractive hiding place for small children. Lane Home Furnishings is stepping up its national safety awareness program reminding owners of its cedar chests to request a replacement lock because the current lock latches from the inside.
Twelve children have suffocated in Lane or Virginia Maid brand cedar chests in the past 25 years according to the United States Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Lane has been making the chests since 1912 and Vice President Marshall Briscoe told adjustercom.com that more than six million of the chests have been sold in the United States and Canada.
“As they are designed and built—if used as intended—there is no problem,” said Briscoe. “But like older refrigerators and other cabinets they can lock children in with tragic consequences.”
In July 2001, Lane paid a $900,000 in fines to the CPSC for failure to report the deaths in a timely fashion according to a commission spokesman, Ken Giles. As part of the settlement, Briscoe said Lane denied any wrongdoing or liability.
The first death was reported in 1991 and Briscoe said it was thought to be a freak accident. The majority of the deaths occurred in the last five years and Lane is pushing its new lock campaign now to avoid future tragedies. Briscoe encourages chest owners to take the old lock off until the free replacement lock arrives.
Lane’s current insurance carrier is Aon Insurance Services. Briscoe said the company has used several insurance companies throughout the years and was not sure which one handled the majority of the chest injury claims.
Lane has put childproof locks on all chests manufactured since 1987, but owners of chests made before that year should call the company (1-888-856-8758) or go to the Lane website (www.newlock.net) to receive a replacement lock.
Briscoe said the chests are identifiable in two ways. They will have the name “Lane” or “Virginia Maid” on the inside of the lid and the chest will lock just by pushing on the lid.
All of the locks need to be replaced said Briscoe. Even if the owner has no children in the home. “They are very durable chests that are passed on from generation to generation. It’s where that chest will end up that’s a concern. Be good citizens and replace the lock for the safety of future users.” | 
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