A coroner has issued a warning over the dangers of gas piston ottoman beds after a woman died when the bed platform fell on her, trapping her neck. Helen Davey, 39, a mother of two from Seaham, County Durham, suffocated on 7 June after becoming trapped in her bed, an inquest heard.
Recording her death as accidental, senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield wrote to ministers warning that future deaths might occur if preventive action was not taken. Davey, a beautician, was found by her 19-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who tried to lift the heavy bed platform but could not free her mother in time.
Police later found that one of the two gas pistons, which make the bed easier to lift, was defective. Chipperfield noted in a prevention of future deaths report that Davey was leaning over the storage area when the mattress platform descended unexpectedly, trapping her neck against the side panel.
The Department for Business & Trade said it was carefully considering the coroner's report and would respond fully before the deadline. The inquest heard that the bed was no longer a soft close and could fall heavily if released.
