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The appellate court recently reversed the trial court’s verdict in the case of Trek Bicycle Corp. v. Miguelez.  The case, which was not your typical bike injury case, involved an injury claim against the bike manufacturer, not an automobile driver. Ft. Myers personal injury lawyer Randall Spivey and his team know that in cases involving defective products, both manufacturers and distributors can be held legally responsible for any injuries and/or deaths caused by such defects.

What Brought About the Case?

Antonio Miguelez was riding his new Trek road bike on the shoulder of a road when the bike suddenly stopped. Miguelez fell forward over the handlebars and suffered injuries to his face, jaw and shoulder. After taking a close look at the bike, it was clear that something had gotten caught in the front wheel spokes. According to court documents, the object “hit the back sides of the front carbon fiber forks causing the wheel to suddenly stop rotating.”

Miguelez sued the bike manufacturer, along with the retailer that sold him the bike, making several product liability claims against the companies, including defective manufacturing, defective design and failure to warn. At trial, Trek Bicycle was granted directed verdicts with respect to the defective manufacturing and design claims; however, the judge denied Trek’s motion with respect to the failure to warn claim.

The Failure to Warn Argument

With respect to Miguelez’s failure to warn claim, he argued that had the bike been equipped with a warning sticker, he never would have bought the bike. Trek argued that the warning, which clearly stated that “damaged carbon fiber can fail suddenly, causing serious injury or death.

Carbon fiber can conceal damage from an impact or crash. If you suspect your bike has been impacted or crashed, IMMEDIATELY STOP RIDING. Take the bike to a dealer,” was, in fact, posted on the bar of the bike. Miguelez claimed there was no warning sticker.

Jurors at the lower court level sided with Miguelez and awarded him $800,000 for his injuries; however, the appellate court reversed the decision, finding that the alleged “failure to warn” was not the proximate cause of Miguelez’s injuries because the sudden failure of the carbon fiber wasn’t the cause of the injuries, but rather the debris on the roadway that got caught in the bike spokes and caused the wheel to suddenly stop.

What it All Means

Although Miguelez’s argument was unsuccessful on appeal, that does not mean that individuals who believe they have sustained injuries from defective products should not pursue claims against manufacturers and retailers. However, it is imperative that injured individuals seek legal guidance from well-versed personal injury lawyers who can fully (and carefully) develop all possible legal arguments.

In Trek, the appellate court found that Miguelez did not prove that the fork collapse was more likely than not the result of the manufacturer’s failure to put a warning sticker on the frame of the bicycle. Generally, in product liability cases, four basic elements must be demonstrated:

• You sustained an injury or some other type of damage.
• The product was defective or lacked appropriate instructions and/or warnings.
• The defect or lack of warning/instructions was the cause of your damages and/or injuries.
• You were hurt while using the product in the manner in which it was intended.

If you were recently injured by a product you believe to be defective, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. as soon as possible to learn how we can help you.