Grandmother, 80, dies after getting trapped in Sleep Number bed for two days: lawsuit

An Illinois grandmother tragically died after she got trapped by her malfunctioning Sleep Number bed for two whole days, a new lawsuit alleges.

The tragedy unfolded when Rosalind “Roz” Walker’s mattress suddenly “lowered itself without warning” in her Godfrey home on March 1 last year — pinning the 80-year-old against her wall, the suit claims.

Walker wasn’t freed until roughly 48 hours later when emergency crews responded to her home and then rushed her to a nearby hospital, the court papers charge.

Rosalind “Roz” Walker, 80, died after she got trapped by her malfunctioning Sleep Number bed for two whole days, a new lawsuit alleges. Elias, Kallal and Schaff Funeral Home

The elderly woman, who was treated for unspecified injuries, was transferred to a rehabilitation clinic — and later hospice care in her home.

Walker died just weeks later on April 3, according to the filing.

“She suffered the entire time,” the suit states.

Her daughter, Angela Moan, slapped the company with the lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging the “defective” bed — which Walker had purchased a decade earlier with a 25-year warranty — is to blame for her death.

The alleged saga unfolded when Rosalind “Roz” Walker’s mattress suddenly “lowered itself without warning” in her Godfrey home on March 1 last year, the suit claims. Getty Images for Sleep Number

The suit alleges Sleep Number and the bed’s manufacturer, Leggett & Platt, Inc., “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 bed also didn’t have a release mechanism that would have allowed the grandmother to free herself, the suit claims.

A Sleep Number spokesperson said the company was aware of the lawsuit and in the process of reviewing the allegations.

“The suit alleges that a malfunctioning adjustable base purchased in 2014 was a contributing factor in the death of Rosalind Walker,” the spokesperson said.

“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,” they added.