Court Rules Against IKEA, Awards Exploding Glass Victim RMB 40k

原创： Charles L. theBeijinger 2018-10-16

A Beijing court has ruled against international home furnishing giant IKEA on Saturday by awarding RMB 40,000 to a local woman injured by one of their glasses.

The plaintiff, a woman named Wang, was awarded RMB 7,000 for medical expenses, RMB 10,000 for mental anguish as well as other costs.

Wang said a "STELNA" glass she had bought a year prior from IKEA's Xihongmen location had exploded in her face during an early morning drink on May 20, 2017. Previous reports say she poured "cooled boiled water" into the glass, while recent reports describe the water as "cooled."

Wang said the force of the explosion knocked her unconscious, cut her lip and chipped her tooth, injuries that required 12 subsequent hospital trips for medical treatment.

Wang accused IKEA of selling products that didn't meet national standards. "IKEA products have quality defects," she said. "Their full knowledge of this fact, while continuing to sell this product, constitutes consumer fraud."

IKEA products have quality defects. Their full knowledge of this fact, while continuing to sell this product, constitutes consumer fraud.

IKEA countered Wang's accusations by saying the plaintiff didn't have any proof that the glass that injured her was associated with their store. The Swedish-based home furnisher also said all of their glasses comply with national standards, and that the STELNA model named in the lawsuit has been sold 610,000 times in China without incident.

READ: Beijing Woman Sues IKEA RMB 1 Million Over Exploding Glass Cup

However, the glass does not appear half-full to the plaintiff. Although the court ruled in her favor, Wang will appeal the case, hoping to win a bigger settlement closer to the RMB 1 million for which she had originally sued.

Wang's case follows a trend in Beijing courts where plaintiffs will win their cases only to receive a fraction of their claims, something that recurs with cases against the city's subway operator.

In April of last year, a man named Wang (unrelated) who suffered a broken back while riding the Beijing Metro was awarded RMB 260,000 by Beijing courts, just a fifth of the initial amount he sued for. Back in 2014, a woman named Shao received just a tenth of her asking damages after her leg was broken on the subway during the morning rush hour.

In 2013, IKEA made an international recall of its LYDA cups after multiple reports said the ceramic cups shattered when receiving hot liquids. Two years before that, IKEA recalled 128,000 RUND glass mugs for similar reasons.

The STELNA glass remains on sale at Beijing IKEA locations for RMB 3.9 . Advertised as microwave and dishwasher-safe, the product is now accompanied by a warning that says tempered glass will break if struck or scratched.

Images: BJ.News.163.com