MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota. According to Outside Magazine, more carbon fiber bike riders are suffering injuries when their bikes collapse beneath them. Carbon fiber bikes are lightweight and inexpensive, but they may not be as durable as bike owners may believe. In fact, there have been reports of individuals suffering serious injuries, including spinal cord injuries, when their bikes pretty much disintegrated beneath them while they were riding.
According to Cycling Weekly, carbon frames can suffer damage in a car accident or they can be damaged when a person takes their bike in for repair. Too-tight bolts can also cause damage. Unfortunately, internal damage to a bike’s frame may not always be visible to riders. This is where carbon fiber bikes are particularly dangerous. While aluminum, steel, and titanium bikes can suffer material failure, problems with the material are usually detectable. Something as simple as a hard blow to the bike can create fissures. Over time, the damage spreads throughout the frame and the frame can shatter without warning.
To make matters more complicated, in order to know if your carbon fiber bike is damaged, you’ll need to have the bike X-rayed. Carbon fiber bikes can be sensitive to heat, so if you store your bike in a car or in a hot garage, it can also degrade the material. UV rays and salt water can also degrade carbon fiber bikes. Even if you don’t live in a marine or seaside climate, salty sweat is enough to degrade the bike frame.
More lawyers across the country are seeing cases where people have been seriously injured in carbon fiber bike failures. Outside Magazine reports that these lawyers believe that faulty design and construction failures have led to carbon fiber bike accidents. Some lawyers have discovered that the factories where the bikes are made do not set standards on how carbon fiber is produced. Outside reports that carbon fiber, when it is properly constructed, tends to be quite durable. However, when carbon fiber isn’t manufactured properly, it can suffer failures.
The concern is also aging bikes. If bikes are purchased secondhand, owners may not know whether a bike has suffered damage that could make it susceptible to shattering. Many bikes are sold with warranties that only apply to the primary purchaser.
Until recently, bike manufacturers have been trying to avoid lawsuits by claiming that the bikes were manufactured abroad. Yet, one case is moving through the courts where a woman is suing a bike manufacturer who bases its manufacturing abroad. The case might be used as a model for other lawyers helping clients who have been hurt when carbon fiber bikes have failed.
Have you been hurt in a bike accident or have you suffered an injury due to the failure of your carbon fiber bike? The Law Office of Martin T. Montilino is a personal injury attorney in Minneapolis, Minnesota who works closely with individuals who have been hurt due to bike accidents or car crashes. If you have been injured in a bike accident, you may be entitled to seek damages for your medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Visit us at https://martinmontilino.com/ to learn more.
THE LAW OFFICE OF MARTIN T. MONTILINO, LLC
3109 Hennepin Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone: (612) 236-1320