Onewheel Lawsuits
Onewheel Lawsuits are piling up for various reasons which we will discuss below, however, just because there is a lawsuit, it doesn’t mean the Onewheel board or the company that makes the Onewheel, Future Motion Inc. is at fault. Whose at fault will be determined by the courts when the lawsuit is complete.
There are multiple issues that cause Onewheel lawsuits, such as potential Onewheel board malfunctions or defects. Almost all Onewheel lawsuits that we know about are brought on by unfortunate serious injuries or death of the rider.
Disclaimer: At no point in this article are we claiming that Future Motion is at fault, or are we accusing them of any fault, or that we are giving our opinion of fault or suggestion of fault. We know that there are hundreds if not thousands of happy and safe Onewheel users and we will let the courts decide fault. All that is stated in this article is what we could find online from articles and law firm websites regarding Onewheel Lawsuits.
Nosedive Onewheel Lawsuits
One of the most common reasons for Onewheel lawsuits is Onewheel nosedive accidents. A nosedive is when the electronic skateboard stops mid-ride causing forward ejection of the rider over the front of the board. This can cause serious injury like, traumatic brain injuries or upper-and lower-body fractures.
The nosedive issue which is reported to be the cause of many Onewheel accidents and Onewheel lawsuits is due to claims the rider’s Onewheel board is a defective product to some degree. Whether it’s a malfunction or a design flaw in the board you shouldn’t expect your very expensive device to throw you off mid-ride, possibly causing life-threatening injuries or even death, but prosecutors will need to prove that the device is defective and that it’s not rider error.
In the lawsuits that have been filed against Future Motion, it has been said that Future Motion has been accused of downplaying the risks associated with their products, as well as misleading their customers.
On the Onewheel website, it states that you can ride your board with “little instruction” and “practice”. This may have some element of truth, but even after practicing, there is nothing you can do if your board decides to shut off mid-ride, causing sudden stops which result in a nosedive accident. Claims that Future Motion has failed to adequately warn consumers about possible injury or death when using the Onewheel as intended are put forward by either lawyers or injured riders.
Three wrongful death lawsuits and multiple accident lawsuits have been filed against Future Motion as far as we know. The first wrongful death lawsuit was filed in May 2020 by the wife and son of a man from Houston, Texas, who died of brain injuries following a nosedive incident.
The next wrongful death lawsuit was filed in August 2020 as a rider from California died from head injuries in a similar accident. A third lawsuit was filed in September 2020 as a man from New York passed away from multiple head, brain, and bodily injuries, including a punctured lung.
Some examples of the accident lawsuits are as follows: a Massachusetts man claims his board stopped and threw him in the air, resulting in various injuries with long-term issues such as memory loss. Also, a 14-year-old girl from South Carolina suffered a traumatic brain injury, leading to her needing intensive rehabilitation which included re-learning to speak.
Alongside these devastating lawsuits, there have also been several class-action suits filed.
The main consensus of all these different lawsuits is that the OneWheels contain defects, causing the nosedive problems which Future Motion has failed to appropriately warn their customers about, and have significantly downplayed these risks to mislead consumers to believe their products are safe.
Also, Future Motion has been accused of false advertising. This first came about when the Onewheel XR model was released, the advertising campaign stated it could be ridden on all-terrain which is false.
Recently, I have read numerous reports of the skateboards from Onewheel riding out of control and increasing speeds while the rider can not slow down or stop the board. I have not heard of a lawsuit about this yet but I’m sure one is coming.
Even following these various lawsuits, some of which have very serious outcomes, it is claimed that Future Motion continues to sell its boards without making clear changes to fix these flaws.
This may be due to Future Motion believing that the issues are not with potential defects with the boards, but that human error is involved, however, it will be up to the courts to decide if the Onewheel boards are defective and if Future Motions is at fault.
Should Onewheel Lawsuits Deter You From Buying A Onewheel
As with any sport and especially electric skateboards that travel at high speeds, there are going to be serious accidents and even deaths. Consider how many thousands of accidents have occurred on rollerblades, bikes, skateboards, and even now hoverboards. Accidents happen!
Because Onewheel skateboards have the potential to cause severe injuries, it’s important for the rider to pay attention to the safety features of the board. One specific safety feature of the Onewheel is the pushback feature that alerts the rider they are going to fast and need to slow down. It’s also important to wear appropriate safety gear when riding.
Even with the accidents there are thousands more happy and safe riders. Accidents on other wheeled sports still do not stop people from enjoying themselves.
Whether these Onewheel lawsuits and accidents from alleged defects prevent you from purchasing a Onewheel will depend on you and your risk tolerance. You could join thousands of happy Onewheel riders, or not risk a possible accident, the choice is up to you.
If you have a question, comment, or advice about Onewheel lawsuits, please let us and readers know in the comments section below.
Graham and The Board Sports Team