Trek Issued Another Recall for Defective Bike Parts
The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently reported that Trek, a preeminent bike manufacturer, recalled one of its bike lines: the Bontrager Line Pro bicycle. The recall was initiated because the bicycle pedals could malfunction creating the risk that a rider could fall off the bicycle. The specific danger is that the spindle of either or both brake pedals could break.
The date of the recall is July 26, 2018. About 9,630 bicycles in the United States are affected, plus another 600 pedal sets that were sold in Canada. The pedals, which are made of aluminum, come in black and orange colors. The words “Line Pro” and “Bontrager” should be readable on the body of the pedal.
The recall suggests that consumers take the bicycle to a Trek retailer who should provide a free repair. The recall became necessary after five reports that spindles had broken. Nobody has been injured due to the defective pedals yet. The bicycle line was sold between April 2016 and June 2018. The cost of the pedals is about $100. Trek Bicycle is based in Taiwan and sells its bicycles and parts through its distributor in Wisconsin.
The bicycle pedal recall was done by Trek in cooperation with the Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC works to protect the public from consumer product defects that have an unreasonable risk of death or injury.
This recall was conducted, voluntarily by the company, under CPSC’s Fast Track Recall process. Fast Track recalls are initiated by firms, who commit to work with CPSC to quickly announce the recall and provide a remedy to protect consumers. Once a manufacturer announces a voluntary or mandatory recall, all sales of the product are required to stop
Types of bicycle defects
Defective bike parts don’t tend to make as much news as defective car parts, but they’re still responsible for injuries every year. Common bicycle defects include:
- Faulty gears
- Problems with the brakes
- Defective frame welds
- Poor quality bike forks
- Chains that are broken
- Defective handlebars
- Tires or tire tubes that blow out on usage
- Any defect that can cause the rider to fall
Rights of anyone injured or killed by a defective bicycle
If someone is injured due to a defective bicycle, the person injured has the right to file a product liability claim against the manufacturer and other liable parties for the defective bicycle. A product liability claim doesn’t require that the victim prove negligence. The product must be defective and must have caused the user harm. Damages include pain and suffering, lost income, and all reasonable medical expenses.
Products are considered defective if:
- The design was faulty
- The product wasn’t made according to quality design specifications, used substandard parts, or wasn’t made according to industry standards
- The instructions on how to use the product were unclear or unsafe
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
If you or a child was injured while riding a bicycle in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or South Florida, you need experienced trial lawyers on your side. At Yeboah Law Group, our respected product liability lawyers have the skills and resources to show when products were defective. Please call us at 954-764-2338 or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation.