Why is Peloton being sued? Lawsuit explained as NYC man dies in freak accident

The fitness company Peloton is being sued by a woman from New York as she claims that her son died immediately after falling from one of the company's exercise bikes. It is worth noting that a copy of the lawsuit was obtained by Daily Beast which reported that the man who died was 32 years old at the time of his death.

The woman, Johanna Furtado said that her son passed away on January 13, 2022, when her son, Ryan, was doing a core workout in his apartment in New York City. Johnna said after her son fell, he severed his carotid artery after falling from the bike. According to AP News, Furtado said that the incident occurred just 6 months after he purchased the pricey bike. She added that her son grabbed the bike, but it just “spun around,” ultimately hurting his neck and face.

She also said that when the New York Police reached Ryan's house, they found the bike on top of his face and neck. Furtado went on to claim that the exercise bike was “defective and unreasonably dangerous in design, instruction, and warning.”

As mentioned earlier, the incident took place nearly a year and a half ago in January 2022, around six months after Ryan bought the bike in July 2021. His mother had filed the lawsuit a few months ago in March 2023 at the Brooklyn Civil Supreme Court. It only came to light when Daily Best reported upon it earlier this week.

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Peloton responds to New York mother’s allegations as her son passed away while exercising on the bike

When Peloton found out about the lawsuit, the brand didn't hesitate or hold back and immediately released a statement about the lawsuit. The company claimed that Ryan's death had been the "first known fatality" and that Peloton wasn't "legally responsible" for his death.

“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 company's statement read.

The statement continued:

"Upon information and belief, the incident giving rise to this action was caused by the negligence or other culpable conduct of one or more parties for which Peloton is not responsible, and, therefore, Peloton is not legally responsible.”

The company also denied the allegations of “negligence,” and said:

“No action or inaction by Peloton was the proximate cause of plaintiff’s or plaintiff’s decedent’s alleged injuries or damages.”

However, this is not the first time the company made its way into the headlines, as it has seen several recalls in the past few years. From people calling out the faulty seat, to more than 12 people getting injured due to the same in May 2023.

At the same time, Peloton’s Tread+ was also in the news as a child died, and 90 were left injured due to a connection problem with one of the machines.

Due to the controversies, the shares of the company are also declining. At the moment, it is not known as to what damage the mother of the deceased is seeking. However, as the news of the lawsuit spread on social media, netizens are divided as the alleged death due to the bike has left many worried, and shocked.