$5 Million Won in Reclining Chair Suit

GARDEN GROVE — The parents of a boy who was nearly killed four years ago when his head was crushed in a reclining chair have settled their lawsuit against the chair’s manufacturer and a furniture retailer for $5 million, the family’s attorney said Friday.

Robert M. Barta, who represented Susan and Richard Lundblade of Garden Grove and their 6-year-old son, Michael, said that despite warnings by the federal government, older-model recliners continue to pose a danger to small children.

In July, 1985, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission warned of a danger from such chairs due to the opening between the chair seat and the footrest when in a reclined position. Newer models, usually those made since 1987, do not have such openings, according to the commission.

The Lundblades filed suit in Orange County Superior Court in 1987 against Levitz’s, a retail furniture chain, and the Mohasco Corp., a Chicago-based manufacturer of recliners, after Michael suffered brain damage when he was caught in the recliner.