Electric bicycles are taking society by storm. One company in particular, ProdecoTech, has released a number of electric bicycles which include commuter bikes, beach bikes, trail bikes, and folding bikes. Some of these models can reach almost 30 miles per hour – which is a significant speed for bicycles to reach. The popularity of electric bicycles is concerning, considering how many problems regular bicycles have. With the introduction of the electric component to bicycles, the normal issues that bicycles normally face are magnified. Specifically, many bicycles have had issues with the fork knuckle – the compartment that holds the tire together with the frame. If problems with a fork knuckle cause devastating injuries when they occur on normal bicycles, just imagine the devastation that fork knuckle issues can cause when they occur on electric bicycles. If you or a member of your family suffered any sort of harm as a direct result of an issue with the fork knuckle on a bicycle, you might have grounds to take legal action – especially if the issue was representative of a product defect. If you or a member of your family suffered any sort of harm caused by a defective fork knuckle, whether on a regular or electric bicycle, do not hesitate take to seek legal assistance as soon as possible. Are you considering the possibility of taking legal action for the harm that you suffered due to the fork knuckle on your bicycle? If so, it is essential that you seek legal assistance immediately. You could benefit from discussing your claim with the experts at Downtown L.A. Law Group. Downtown L.A. Law Group is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling many different types of claims and helping them be rightfully compensated. If you would like to discuss the possibility of pursuing a claim with our skilled lawyers, do not hesitate to contact our law firm as soon as possible – we want to represent you and help you recover compensation.

Understanding the Danger of a Defective Fork Knuckle

Fork knuckles can suddenly malfunction, leaving bicyclists in very difficult situations. Because fork knuckles keep the tire on the bicycle, a sudden malfunction will likely result in the bicyclist losing control of the bicycle, crashing, and falling – likely suffering a number of injuries. A malfunctioning fork knuckle could result in head injuries, brain injuries, spinal injuries, and a number of other injuries. In some cases, the harm suffered could be so severe that bicyclists could lose their lives. In the majority of cases in which bicyclists survive, the harm suffered is severe enough to be permanent and cause life-long difficulties.

How Electric Bicycles Increase the Risk of Harm

The harm suffered when normal bicycles malfunction due to issues with fork knuckles is extensive; however, harm is even more extensive when the fork knuckles malfunction on electric bicycles. Electric bicycles are designed for more power than the bicycles that we are used to. They are designed to reach speeds close to 30 mph. The average bicyclist rides a normal bicycle at up to 12 mph. This is a significant difference in speeds. What does this mean? An accident at 12 mph is likely to be less severe than an accident at almost 30 mph. Because electric bicycles can reach speeds of 30 mph, accidents caused by the failure of fork knuckles could truly be devastating. Losing control of the bicycle, crashing into something, and eventually falling is likely to result in critical injuries. The increase of the bicycle’s power when compared to normal bicycles is enough to make accidents even more dangerous.

Understanding Product Liability

Who is at fault for the harm that you suffered after the fork knuckle on your bicycle suddenly stopped working appropriately? In general, issues with fork knuckles could be traced back to the manufacturer – specifically, back to a product defect. All companies have a specific duty of care towards their consumers. They have a duty to of care to ensure that all their products are completely safe for consumer use. They must identify and address all potential hazards in their products to ensure that their consumers are not unnecessarily put at risk. When they fail to perform their duty of care, they are breaching their duty of care to consumers – they are also creating a risk of harm. When the breach of duty (the failure to ensure that the product is free of hazards) directly result in harm (injuries caused by the accident resulting from the defective fork knuckle, for example), the company could face liability. If the hazard or defect was present in the product’s labeling, design, or manufacturing, the company will likely be liable for all the harm suffered. If you would like to learn more about liability in broken fork knuckle incidents, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance as soon as possible.

Could You Pursue a Claim?

Do you have the right to pursue a claim if you suffered harm as a direct result of a defective fork knuckle? Your right to pursue a claim is based on negligence. If the harm that you suffered was caused by a defective product, you could pursue a claim because the company negligently allowed a defective product to be available to consumers. In other words, the harm that you suffered could have been completely avoided – had the company taken the appropriate care to ensure that the product was not defective in any way. If you believe that you have grounds to pursue a claim, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance as soon as possible. It does not matter whether your fork knuckle malfunctioned on your normal bicycle or electric bicycle; you have the right to take legal action.

What Should You Do?

If the harm that you suffered was a direct cause of a defective product, there are a number of things that you should do to ensure that you are eventually able to pursue your claim. Some of the things that you should do include the following:

• Seek medical attention
• Take photos of all visible injuries
• Take photos of the scene of the accident
• Take photos of the defective product (the broken fork knuckle should be clear)
• Contact the company to report the defective product and the harm that you suffered
• Do not allow agree to a refund
• Do not agree to a free replacement
• Do not agree to a free repair
• Do not tamper with the defective product in any way
• Keep all records associated with the harm that you suffered
• Keep all records associated with the purchase of the defective product
• Seek legal assistance to discuss your claim

When you do the things listed above, you are essentially gathering the tools necessary to eventually pursue your claim. Many people lose their right to sue because they fail to follow the steps listed above. If you would like to learn more about the things that you should do to preserve your right to file a successful claim, do not hesitate to contact our law firm as soon as possible.

Could You Recover Compensation?

Do you have the right to recover compensation? If the harm that you suffered was a direct cause of the negligent actions of another party, you might be eligible to recover monetary compensation. How much compensation could you receive? What type of compensation could you recover? Depending on the specific details of your claim, you might be eligible to receive compensation for all or some of the following: medical expenses; lost wages; pain and suffering; property damage; loss of consortium; funeral and burial costs; punitive damages. If you would like to learn more about the specific type and amount of compensation that you might be eligible to receive, do not hesitate to contact our law firm as soon as possible – our lawyers will always aggressively fight for your right to recover the compensation that you deserve.

Is Your Claim Subject to Deadlines?

All claims, including product liability claims, are subject to strict deadlines. The deadline that applies to a claim is called a statute of limitations – it establishes the length of time that claimants have to pursue their claim. If claims are not filed within the length of time established by the statute of limitations, claimants will likely lose their right to sue – which means that they will also lose their right to receive compensation. What statute of limitations applies to your claim? In California, product liability claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations; however, certain details of your claim could affect the deadline that applies to your claim. Since failing to have a thorough understanding of the statute of limitations could result in losing the right to take legal action, it is important that you discuss the deadline that applies to your claim with the experts at our firm.

Contact Downtown L.A. Law Group

Downtown L.A. Law Group is a personal injury law group with many years of experience handling many different types of claims, including product liability claims. Our lawyers are ready to provide you with all the information that you need to take action against the party that contributed to the harm that you suffered. Our firm is dedicated to representing all victims and ensuring that they have access to all the information that they need to take action against the parties liable for the harm that they suffered. To ensure that all claimants have access to our legal services, our firm offers free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns. Our free legal services are available as part of our Zero-Fee guarantee, which ensures that our clients will never be required to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our services. Our firm is also based on a contingency structure; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay anything until after they reach a successful claim outcome. If you are ready to discuss your claim with our firm, do not hesitate to contact our firm as soon as possible.