Bike warranties & component failures
breezer
Posts: 1,225
I have just been reading in my local paper about someone who is sueing the importers of a certain large bike company due to the handlebars of his bike snapping back in 2002. He was wearing a helmet but has had on going issues relating to the crash.
He was on a bridleway at the time so not doing anything mad, it was an aluminum bar on a œ1300 bike so reasonably high spec.
The importers are obviously saying it was built to the relevant safety standards etc, it could have snapped when he hit the ground and tests are being done on it at the moment.
I wonder how often this sort of thing comes up? I presume parts and bikes come with some sort of guarentee that they wont fail if used under "reasonable conditions" etc. He could have spent most of his time downhilling which it wasnt covered for but then the bike company would have no way of proving that, likewise how does he prove that he hadnt just ridden it off a nearby wall and it snapped when he crashed the bike etc.
His lawyer is going with "the handlebar at the heart of the case was 'unusually brittle' and prone to fracture during routine use". If this was the case then surely a recall would have been done?
2005 Azonic Propulsion
1998 DMR Trailstar
1992 Breezer Lightning Pro
He was on a bridleway at the time so not doing anything mad, it was an aluminum bar on a œ1300 bike so reasonably high spec.
The importers are obviously saying it was built to the relevant safety standards etc, it could have snapped when he hit the ground and tests are being done on it at the moment.
I wonder how often this sort of thing comes up? I presume parts and bikes come with some sort of guarentee that they wont fail if used under "reasonable conditions" etc. He could have spent most of his time downhilling which it wasnt covered for but then the bike company would have no way of proving that, likewise how does he prove that he hadnt just ridden it off a nearby wall and it snapped when he crashed the bike etc.
His lawyer is going with "the handlebar at the heart of the case was 'unusually brittle' and prone to fracture during routine use". If this was the case then surely a recall would have been done?
2005 Azonic Propulsion
1998 DMR Trailstar
1992 Breezer Lightning Pro
0
Comments
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he has no way of saying he didnt snap it some other way. i dont think he would be sueing iff it was his own fault. but even iff he was riding along normally theres no way to say how he usually rides and wether previous rides could off weakend the bars.
hi peepshi peeps0 -
hmm, its a strange one. the item may have failed, of ir could have been abused. i know that i bought a brand new planet x DH bar, thats very nearly solid metal. the first ride, i fell off, into soft leaves/mud, and i picked my bike up, and the bars were at 90degrees. and that was from a very gentle fall.
<b><font color="red"> MON BICI!!
myspaz</b></font id="red">0 -
age of bike? if over 3 years old and regular use i would not have been suprised.
nick
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by gazzer1966</i>
he has no way of saying he didnt snap it some other way. <b>i dont think he would be sueing iff it was his own fault.</b> but even iff he was riding along normally theres no way to say how he usually rides and wether previous rides could off weakend the bars.
hi peeps
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
You clearly have no idea how the world works these days. people seem pretty much eager to sue for anything. like these americans that think they can sue mcdonalds for making them fat. They just want to shift blame onto someone else, and get money for it.
disgusting.
However, if the component was in good, new'ish condition, and haddn't been abused. he would be in a position to take some form of action.
<hr noshade size="1"><center><blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by EvilAlex</i>
Something round here tastes bad. Could be plain old bad taste.
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It doesn't happen often, although suing is often unnessessary as the insurance company will investigate a claim and, if liable will make a payment without having to go to court. Those that do go to court rarely succeed.
<center><font color="red"><b>My Scott</b></font id="red"></center>0 -
Didnt say the age of the bike, just that it happened in 2002.
Those stories of mcdonalds being sued in america etc are beyond belief. I have also read ones along the lines of burglars going into peoples houses, injuring themselves somehow then successfully sueing the house owner, WTF!!!!
How often are there recalls in the bike industry? The only one that ive ever heard of was the Shimano skewers about 1.5-2 years ago
2005 Azonic Propulsion
1998 DMR Trailstar
1992 Breezer Lightning Pro0 -
Most recent that I know of:
http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/news/27219/Lefty-forks-in-recall-notice
<center><font color="red"><b>My Scott</b></font id="red"></center>0
