Trek Bicycle Corp. of Wisconsin has announced a recall of 16,000 mountain bikes with forks manufactured by JD Components (Taiwan). Trek bikes with the potentially defective forks include 2009 model 7300, 7300 WSD (women's frame) and 7500 bikes. These bikes have the label BONTRAGER SPA on the forks. These bikes were sold in retailers between August of 2008 and April of 2009.
Cannondale has also announced a recall of 1,500 of its bikes with forks manufactured by JD Components (Taiwan). The recall includes 2008 Cannondale Adventure 2 and Adventure 3 men's and women's models. These bikes were sold through Cannondale bicycle dealers between February of 2009 and April of 2009. The Cannondale bikes have the label CANNONDALE AT35 ADVENTURE TRAIL on the fork.
The recalls stem from four reports of the JD Components fork misaligning on Trek bikes. A misaligned fork causes the bike to turn unexpectedly and may result in the rider falling and getting injured. No reports of injuries have as of yet been associated with a Cannondale bike with the JD Components fork.
This incident raises a common issue in product liability cases that involve a particular component; the manufacturer of the component may be totally different than the manufacturer of the bicycle or the company whose name is on the product. In this case the alleged defective product, the suspension fork, was manufactured in Taiwan by a company named JD Components. However, the forks were labeled as "Bontrager" or "Cannondale" and sold on Trek brand and Cannondale brand bikes. It is important to remember that if you have been injured on a bicycle, there may be several companies that share in the responsibility for an injury that you may have suffered.
A defective or damaged bicycle that causes an injury to a rider may be the basis for a product liability claim. If you have been injured while riding a bicycle, please contact Michael Keating at 312-208-7702 or MKeating@KeatingLegal.com.
