On April 17, 2021, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a warning advising consumers to stop using Peloton treadmills, after the Peloton Tread+ allegedly left one child dead. The commission is additionally concerned because of multiple reports of victims, mostly children, being pulled under the machine and suffering serious injuries as a result.
According to an official at the CPSC, this is not an accident that happens with other treadmills. The agency is asking Peloton to recall the treadmill while CPSC continues its investigation into the death of the child.
Peloton is fighting the recall and the investigation, claiming the CPSC warning is “inaccurate and misleading”. They insist their treadmills are safe for use as long as the warnings and safety instructions are followed. They do admit, however, that it’s important for consumers to keep children, pets, and other objects clear of the treadmill at all times. This, as any parent knows, is impossible unless you keep your treadmill in a locked room, as the CPSC is recommending. Moreover, parental supervision may not even prevent an accident. In one incident a child was allegedly pulled under the treadmill while the parent was running on it.
Because 23 of the 39 incidents involved children, and many of those resulted in serious injury, the CPSC warning is stressing that “the Peloton Tread+ poses serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures, and death.” In one incident a child was pulled under the treadmill and suffered multiple broken bones; in another, a 3-year-old boy was found trapped and unresponsive under a treadmill but survived with significant brain injuries.
Treadmills have always posed a hazard to children; 2000 treadmill-related injuries to children under the age of 8 were treated in ERs in 2019. However, the Peloton injuries are more severe than most treadmill injuries, and they can occur even when an adult is using the treadmill correctly, according to a CPSC spokesperson. In fact, the agency is investigating the potentially hazardous design of the treadmill—including its height off the ground and belt mechanism—which may make the product inherently dangerous, with no safe way to use it.
Unfortunately, the CPSC is hamstrung in many ways. It cannot force Peloton to recall the treadmill without going to court and in most cases cannot even inform the public of safety dangers about a product without getting permission from the manufacturer. In this case, the agency has had to subpoena Peloton just to get contact information for the child who died, so they can investigate further.
This is unacceptable.
Before more children get injured on unsafe products like the Peloton treadmill, this needs to change. What is the point of federal safety agencies if they can’t do anything? Product safety laws need to be rewritten to give these government agencies the authority to (1) prevent dangerous products from being sold to unwitting victims and (2) warn the public about dangerous products without getting permission from the manufacturer. In short, the government needs to be able to put children’s health and safety ahead of a corporation’s bottom line. Until then, sadly, victims will have to rely on the courts for justice.
If you have a Peloton Tread+ in a home with young children or pets, you can take one or more of the following safety precautions:
The safety of your children and pets is too important not to take action.
If your child has already been injured by a Peloton treadmill or another brand of treadmill, we can help you fight back against the manufacturer responsible. The defective product attorneys at The Collins Law Firm will talk with you and help you determine if you have a treadmill injury lawsuit. Call us at 630-527-1595 or fill out our contact form for a FREE evaluation of your treadmill injury claim.
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