Trek Bicycle has recalled nearly one million bikes following several accidents in 2014 that left two riders injured (one with facial injuries and one with a fractured wrist) and one in quadriplegia.
Trek settled the lawsuit from the serious accident, but has continues to decline providing details.
TREK RECALL
Trek announced the widespread recall this week and said that it was working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall bikes with a common style of front-wheel skewer that, when improperly used, could become jammed in the front disc brake.
The recall includes approximately 900,000 bicycles in the United States and about 98,000 in Canada with the model years 2000 through 2015 that were sold in stores between $480 and $1,650. The bicycles affected have front disc brakes and a black or silver quick-release lever on the front wheel hub that opens far enough to contact the disc brake.
According to Trek’s recall announcement, the issue is not a manufacturing defect, rather a problem arises when cyclists leave the quick-release skewer’s lever in the open position, or don’t have it adjusted properly. Riders become more at risk of crashing if the lever gets caught in the brake rotor and causes the bike to come to a sudden stop. Experts are anticipating that this recall could affect bicycles from other manufacturers.
According to the CPSC, consumers should discontinued using their bicycles immediately and contact a Trek retailer for free installation of a new quick-release lever on the front wheel. Trek said that it will also provide each owner who participates in the recall with a $20 coupon good toward any Bontrager merchandise.
PRODUCT RECALLS
All consumer products manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that their goods are safe and free of defects that could pose a threat to a consumer’s safety. When a person is injured as the result of a defective product, the company bears the responsibility of compensating the victim for his or her injury.
In the case of the Trek bicycles, though the company claims there is no actual defect with the bicycles being recalled, there is some sort of design flaw that increases the risk of injury to riders. In these types of products liability cases, products with a design defect may be manufactured and marketed just as they were intended, but they were ultimately designed improperly. In most instances, the manufacturer of the product could have used a safer design that may have helped avoid foreseeable risks. A design defect will be found in every product that was produced according to the design, and the defect is actually present prior to the manufacturing process.
Regardless of whether a company intentionally produced an unsafe product or not, it is liable for any injuries that may result.
At the law offices of Altman & Altman, our team of experienced products liability attorneys has nearly 50 years of experience handling all types of personal injury cases as well as products liability lawsuits. We have gone up against a number of large corporations to fight on our clients’ behalf and have a track record of successfully achieving high settlements and getting clients the compensation they deserve.
If you or a loved one was recently injured as the result of a malfunctioning product, do not hesitate to contact one of our esteemed attorneys today. Our lawyers are available around the clock to assist you with any questions you may have and all consultations are completely free and confidential.
To learn more about Trek Bicycle’s recall, click here.