Updated article on the Peloton lawsuit to add Peloton’s statement as of 9/7/23.

The Clip Out recently learned that Peloton has been sued in the state of New York in connection with the death of a man who was allegedly killed while using his Peloton Bike+ during a core workout. The lawsuit was filed by the man’s mother in March 2023. 

The lawsuit alleges that on January 13, 2022, Ryan Furtado was performing a core workout on the bike and had disembarked the bike to do floor exercises. When rising from the floor, Mr. Furtado allegedly pulled on the bike to assist him in getting up when the bike spun around and hit him in the neck and face area, resulting in his immediate death. No witnesses are mentioned in the legal complaint. 

In its legal filing in April, Peloton has denied all of Plaintiff’s substantive allegations and alleged that Mr. Furtado’s injuries were either the result of his own negligence or the actions of other parties for which Peloton is not responsible. Additionally, Peloton has argued that this case is subject to mandatory arbitration in accordance with the Peloton Terms of Service.  Peloton communications team issued a statement shortly after this article was published and it reads: “We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Furtado family for this unfortunate accident. As a Member-first company, the health and safety of our Member community is a top priority.“

The plaintiff’s attorney alleges that Peloton is legally liable for Mr. Furtado’s death because it sold the bike in a defective condition in that the bike had inadequate safety warnings and was unreasonably dangerous in its manufacture and design. The attorney also alleges Peloton was negligent in its actions.  

Neither the workout nor the instructor is mentioned in the lawsuit, but it is alleged that the class trainer instructed the class to use the Bike for stretching and that Peloton should have foreseen that this type of pushing and pulling action on the bike would cause people to misuse the bike to pull themselves up from the floor. The Clip Out has never seen any class or instructor ask a person to use the bike to pull themselves up from the floor.  In fact, all classes The Clip Out has taken instruct you to carefully get up from the floor.  

The Clip Out is unaware of any particular tip-over warning on the Bike or Bike+ nor are we aware of any such warnings that are placed on any other stationary bikes on the market. We are also unaware of any other alleged tip-over incidents with the Bike or Bike+.

Although it does not specifically mention a tip hazard, the warning label on Peloton’s Bike+ does clearly state that moving parts may cause injury.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for Mr. Furtado’s pain and suffering, funeral expenses, any associated medical costs related to his injuries, and any financial support he would have contributed to the family, including any inheritance they would have received from him. 

The Clip Out has spoken with a few attorneys this morning, all of whom wanted to remain anonymous.  One said: ” This is very typical of a wrongful death products liability suit. Everything from the narrow causal connection to the type of damages claimed… none of that is unusual for such a situation. Neither is Peloton’s response. The most unusual thing about this case is that it is going to rely heavily on publicity…it’s coming across as opportunistic.”

The Clip Out will keep you updated on any developments in this case. 

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