SALT LAKE CITY (BRAIN) — A Utah woman is suing Rad Power Bikes because she said her bike arrived with a loose stem that caused a crash that injured her hands and wrist.
Paulina Greaves said she read assembly instructions and watched an instructional video before riding her new RadMini Electric Fat Bike. She said the instructions did not tell her to check the tightness of the stem. But she said on her first ride, on April 25, 2020, she tried to turn right when the stem slipped on the steerer tube, causing the crash.
About a month late she received an email from Rad Power notifying her that she may have purchased a bike with a loose stem and telling her to take the bike to a shop to have it tightened at Rad Power's expense.
Greaves said the crash cost her about $30,000 in medical expenses and $100,000 in lost wages, with future medical expenses expected to be nearly $40,000.
A Rad Power spokesman said the company was aware of the suit. "Although Ms. Greaves was involved in an accident while riding her bike, the cause of that accident remains in dispute. Rad Power Bikes, through legal counsel, is responding to the lawsuit. Through the litigation process, Rad Power Bikes will be investigating the Greaves' allegations that their bike malfunctioned. Rad Power Bikes is committed to the safety and reliability of the products it sells."
On April 13 the company filed an answer to Greave's complaint with the U.S. District Court for the Central Division of Utah, where the suit is filed. In the answer, Rad Power denied Greave's claims and asked the court to dismiss the case.
