80 YEAR OLD WOMAN DIES FROM INJURIES AFTER GETTING TRAPPED IN SLEEP NUMBER BED FOR TWO DAYS, LAWSUIT ALLEGES

PEOPLE

 

80-Year-Old Woman Dies from Injuries After Getting Trapped in Sleep Number Bed for 2 Days, Lawsuit Alleges: 'Suffered the Entire Time'

By Becca Longmire  Published on December 12, 2024 07:41AM EST

 

An 80-year-old woman died from her injuries a month after getting trapped in a Sleep Number bed for two days, according to a lawsuit filed by her daughter.

 

Per court documents seen by PEOPLE, Angela Moan is suing Sleep Number Corporations and Leggett & Platt Incorporated — who designed, manufactured, marketed, sold and warrantied the bed — after her mother, Rosalind Walker, 80, died on April 3, 2023.

 

The documents filed on Tuesday, Dec. 10 in St. Louis County alleged that Walker had purchased the Sleep Number bed, which had a 25-year warranty, in Brentwood, Missouri on Oct. 19, 2014.

 

Almost 10 years later, on March 1, 2023, Walker became trapped in her Godfrey, Illinois home with the bed's "adjustable foundation in a raised position," per the suit.

 

"Mrs. Walker was between the raised Sleep Number Bed and the wall of her bedroom," the suit stated, adding that the bed had "lowered without warning."

 

Walker "remained trapped" there for two days until March 3, 2023, when emergency responders freed her from the position, the documents stated.

 

"She was taken to the hospital, was transferred to a rehabilitation center and was then brought home on hospice.  She suffered the entire time until she died on April 3, 2023," the suit added, claiming that the bed sold didn't have an adequate warning that something like this could happen and "did not have adequate instructions or cautionary language in the instructions or on the bed, alerting Mrs. Walker not to go between the bed and the wall as she could be trapped."

 

The documents said the bed had "lowered with such force as to trap Mrs. Walker," with the suit stating that the bed also didn't have "an appropriate release mechanism which would have allowed Mrs. Walker to free herself from her trapped position."

 

The suit added that the bed "had a timer" which caused it "to decline without any physical input or warning from Mrs. Walker."

 

"This negligence was the proximate cause of Mrs. Walker's injuries [and] suffering" before she died, the suit said, adding that the plaintiff is asking for compensation for her mother's "predeath suffering and injuries, for the related medical bills and for the loss of her mother's society."

 

Moan is seeking an "amount that is fair and reasonable and in excess of the jurisdictional amount of $25,000 and for any and all other relief this Court deems just and proper under the circumstances," per the suit.

 

A Sleep Number spokesperson said of the lawsuit in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, “Sleep Number is aware of the recent lawsuit filed against the company and Leggett and Platt, the manufacturer of its adjustable base."

 

"The suit alleges that a malfunctioning adjustable base purchased in 2014 was a contributing factor in the death of Rosalind Walker," it added. "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, December 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," the statement concluded.

 

One of the lawyers for Moan, Ted Gianaris, said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, "It is a tragic loss of a vibrant woman who was completely independent. Mrs. Walker was trapped for two days and then she died."

 

"Something as common as an adjustable bed should not be a trap. We look forward to hearing from Sleep Number about why it did not sell a safer bed," Gianaris added.