Over the past decade, home gyms have gained immense popularity.
Treadmills and exercise bikes are most associated with at-home injuries. Studies have found that at-home exercise injuries that resulted in a visit to the emergency room increased by more than 48% from 2019 to 2020. Half of all injuries occur when using the equipment, while other injuries occur when people fall into the equipment or when they come in contact with moving parts of the equipment.
It has been estimated that every year, around 8700 injuries from home exercise equipment occurs in children in the United States. Sprains, strains followed by abrasions, contractions & fractures are most common in adults. Among children, abrasions, and contusions are very common and can also be followed by laceration or internal organ injury.
Children fall near or while on a treadmill all the time. This was the unfortunate circumstance of the 6-year-old child that died after being pulled under the Peloton Tread+ treadmill.
Peloton recalled its Tread+ and Tread treadmills after the U.S Consumer Product Safety (CPSC) released an ‘urgent warning’ about the potential dangers of the Peloton treadmills. These machines we tagged ‘dangerous’ as they were linked to the death of a child and have caused injuries to 29 others.
The Peloton CEO John Foley has apologized for the recall of these machines and has offered a full refund for the treadmills which cost $4,295. The warning and recall request issued by the commission was due to 72 reports received by them of pets, children and other objects being pulled under the treadmill. 29 out of those 79 cases involved children who got cuts, broken bones and brain injuries. There was a video that surfaced on YouTube which showed a child being pulled from under a Peloton treadmill.
For all of those who own a Peloton Treadmill and wish to continue using it, the company is here with a new feature called Tread Lock that locks the machine if it hasn’t been used for 45 seconds. To use the machine again you will have to enter a 4 digit passcode. This software update was made after Peloton recalled its treadmills. Along with this feature, the company has requested all its users to put their treadmills in a locked room.
If you are someone or know that person who got injured because of a Peloton or any other treadmill, please get in touch with Siler & Ingber’s team of defective product attorneys. They will ensure that any clients with genuine treadmill injuries get compensation.