Bicycle accidents are a top cause of spinal cord injuries, and they usually happen when a bike collides with something else, such as a rock or a car.  It is rare for a bike to fall apart, but one man is claiming that actually happened to him.

One man of Seattle, Washington is suing the sporting goods company REI for damages related to a spinal cord injury caused by a faulty bike the store sold him, according the Courthouse News Service.  His complaint also names Fairly Bike Manufacturing Co., Gruppo S.p.A., Mavic SAS and Fung Tien Electric Co. for being at-fault.

Seattle man files paralysis lawsuit against REI for a bike that fell apart.

Osborne states in his lawsuit that the 2006 Novara Team Trionfo he purchased from REI “broke apart underneath him” in three places along the aluminum-carbon frame causing permanent spinal cord injuries.

According to records from the King County Court, the man went to REI and had the bike serviced 2 months before the paralyzing accident occurred.  The lawsuit seeks to collect general and special damages for him and his family, claiming he was subjected to breach of warranty and product liability with the faulty bike.

“Defendant REI could have had the 2006 ‘Novara Team Trionfo’ bicycles assembled with stronger, more elastic, resilient and shock absorbing, and fatigue resistant main triangle frame top and down tubes by changing the contractual specifications with the manufacturer,” the complaint reads.

Biking already poses the risk of paralysis — whether biking on a mountain or on the street — but the threat of a spinal cord injury greatly increases when a bike is not properly manufactured.

If you have any doubts about the safety of your bike or the bicycles that your family rides, it never hurts to take it around to different shops and get a second, third, or even fourth opinion.  Who knows?  It might be the move the helps you avoid a spinal cord injury this summer.

Contact our bilingual offices as soon as possible following a spinal cord injury at 1-858-551-2090 or please click here for a free consultation with an experienced San Diego paralysis lawyer.