SEATTLE (BRAIN) — Rad Power Bikes denied that one of its e-bikes started a residential fire that caused property damage and led to a lawsuit being filed against the brand on Tuesday.
State Fire & Casualty and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company jointly filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania after the fire was started May 30, 2022, at the Wycombe home of insured client Gerald Luff. The lawsuit states Luff's Rad Power e-bike — model not disclosed — "malfunctioned and failed catastrophically" and resulted in a fire that damaged his property and automobiles.
"Rad Power Bikes is aware of the lawsuit filed in Pennsylvania federal court by State Farm relating to a fire in Wycombe, Pennsylvania, on May 30, 2022," according to the statement emailed to BRAIN on Friday afternoon. "In the complaint, State Farm alleges that the fire was caused by a battery from a Rad e-bike and/or its charger.
"Rad denies this claim. We are confident that the evidence, when considered in its totality, will demonstrate that the fire did not originate in a Rad e-bike battery, charger, or any other Rad product. We look forward to the opportunity to defend our company and our products in this suit."
According to the lawsuit, damages were in excess of $250,000. State Farm maintains the damages were the result of Rad Power Bikes' negligence "by and through its employees, agents, technicians, vendors, subcontractors ..."
The lawsuit alleges design, manufacturing, and component defects; use and/or handling instruction and/or warnings defects; and/or a failure to warn about the design, manufacturing, and/or component defects; and/or proper installation instructions. A breach of warranty also is alleged.
