Key Points of This Article:
- Two weeks after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned consumers, Peloton has agreed to recall more than 125,000 of its treadmills responsible for dozens of dangerous incidents, including a child’s death.
- Consumers who have purchased a recalled treadmill should immediately stop using it and report any injuries caused by the product.
- Almost 460,000 people are sent to the hospital each year for injuries related to exercise equipment, including treadmills.
- Defective or dangerous exercise products can result in a serious injury and cause permanent disabilities impacting individuals, families, and children.
More Than 125,000 Popular Peloton Tread+ and Tread Treadmills Recalled
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says there has been one child death and around 70 other injuries tied to two treadmills made by the popular fitness brand, Peloton. Peloton initially refused CPSC’s first recall warning of the products and instead labeled the request “inaccurate and misleading.” Just two weeks later, on May 5, 2021, Peloton formally accepted the recalls covering the $4,295 Tread+ and Peloton’s cheaper equipment with the brand name Tread. It has since pulled both machines off its website.
Several hotels, gyms, and vacation rentals in Michigan offer Peloton equipment to clients and guests in cities like Detroit, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Troy, Ann Arbor, and Southfield.
Peloton CEO Was Aware of Injuries, Offers Apology for Late Recall
The company’s delay in recalling the treadmills left users in danger because Peloton was aware of the injuries associated with its treadmills yet failed to warn its partners and consumers. On May 5, 2021, Peloton’s CEO John Foley admitted that dismissing the initial warning was a mistake.
“I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+. We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize. Today’s announcement reflects our recognition that, by working closely with the CPSC, we can increase safety awareness for our Members. We believe strongly in the future of at-home connected fitness and are committed to work with the CPSC to set new industry safety standards for treadmills. We have a desire and a responsibility to be an industry leader in product safety.”
When CPSC issued the urgent public warning in April, Peloton was aware that more than half of the total reported accidents involving the treadmills, including “multiple reports of children becoming entrapped, pinned, and pulled under the device,” had been documented.
Treadmills Cause Thousands of Injuries Every Year
According to CPSC, treadmills with defective belts, faulty designs, missing safety features and lack of warnings, broken cables and plugs, and technology fails cause around 24,400 injuries reported in U.S. emergency rooms each year. Treadmill user injuries can disrupt a person’s daily activities, such as taking care of their family and working. Treatment and recovery time can exhaust personal finances and create emotional pain and physical burdens, such as broken bones and sprains, head trauma, abrasions and disfigurement, and organ damage.
Common Injuries Caused by Exercise Equipment and Workout Products
Treadmills, exercise bikes, resistance bands, and weight lifting equipment found either at home or the gym are injuring almost 460,000 people each year. While most injuries are minor and caused by accidental slips and over-exertion, injuries due occur from faulty equipment and dangerous products. These injuries can range from sore muscles to a permanent disability, and more seriously include:
- crushing injuries
- deep cuts and severe abrasions
- electrical burns and shocks
- face and eye injuries
- head and brain injuries
- knee and hip injuries
- limb disfigurement and amputation
- muscle and tendon sprains and strains
- neck and spinal cord injuries
- rectal damage
- death
Like Peloton’s issues, treadmills generally are involved in a large proportion of severe fitness injuries where product liability is in question.
What Should Consumers Do If Hurt by a Peloton Treadmill?
CPSC says consumers should stop using the Peloton Tread+ if there are small children or pets at home. Children may be seriously injured while the Tread+ is being used. If consumers choose to continue to use the treadmill, use the product only in a locked room to prevent access to children and pets while the treadmill is in use. Keep all objects, including exercise balls and other equipment, away from the treadmill. And when not in use, unplug the Tread+ and store the safety key away from the device and out of reach of children.
Also, be sure to report any Peloton Tread+ incidents to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov and reach out to a personal injury attorney at Lee Steinberg Law Firm. Suppose you believe your injury or another person in your household has injuries caused by an unsafe Peloton treadmill. In that case, we can help assess your damages and collect the information necessary to make your claim.
What To Do If You’ve Been Injured by Faulty Exercise Equipment
Depending on your situation and damages, you may be able to seek compensation from the maker of the defective equipment with a product liability lawsuit or be able to hold the retailer who sold you defective equipment accountable. A private gym or fitness center that failed to provide safe Peloton equipment may be responsible for your injuries as well.
In a product liability case against an exercise equipment manufacturer, you’ll need to prove that the defect in the equipment caused your injuries.
Detroit, Michigan Lawyers Fighting for You | Call for a FREE Consult
Suppose you, a family member, or a guest in your home has been injured by defective exercise equipment. In that case, the experienced Michigan personal injury attorneys at Lee Steinberg Law Firm are here to help you cope and make sure you receive a winning settlement.
Michigan personal injury cases are time-intensive and deserve special attention. Whether you live in Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, or anywhere in between, call us for a free personal injury consultation at 1-800-LEE-FREE (1-800-533-3733).
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