Three different bicycle accidents have been attributed to bicycles manufactured by Trek. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Trek, badly installed release levers on Trek bikes with disc brakes are to blame for the accidents. A total of 900,000 bicycles have been recalled in America and another 98,000 were recalled in Canada.
Trek has issued the recall in order to prevent further accidents. It is offering to fix all affected bicycles free of charge by replacing the release levers. Trek has also offered a $20 gift voucher for merchandise to anyone affected by the recall.
Trek says that the levers have caused three injurious crashes. Among the injuries were a fractured wrist and facial injuries. The most severely injured bicyclist was paralyzed. Trek’s formal statement regarding the recall said that the bicycles’ release levers can get stuck in the disc braking systems, causing the front wheels of the bikes to separate. Riders are then at risk of losing control of their bicycles.
When a negligent bicycle manufacturer sells a dangerous product to a California consumer, the manufacturer can be held liable for accidents, injuries and wrongful deaths caused by the defective bike. Consumers may be able to seek damages for the costs related to their medical care, damages relating to lost income due to an inability to work after an accident, damages for pain and suffering and other damages, depending on the nature of the crash and their injuries.
If wrongful death is involved, families of victims may be able to pursue claims based on lost family income, emotional suffering, loss of companionship and more.