A mother is suing home exercise giant Peloton, alleging that one of their exercise bikes fell on her son, severing an artery, leaving him dead on the floor of her Brooklyn apartment.
According to a lawsuit filed in New York, Johanna Furtado claims her son Ryan was ‘killed instantly’ when his bicycle fell on him while he was using it as leverage to get off the ground as part of a exercise program in January 2022, just a week before his 33rd birthday.
During his routine, as Furtado rose from the ground using the gear as leverage, the bike “twipped and struck him in the neck and face, severing his carotid artery in his neck, killing him instantly. “.
His body was eventually discovered by NYPD, with the bike lying on his face when found.
Furtado’s death is not the first involving a Peloton bike. In 2021, a 6-year-old was killed after being dragged by a treadmill while a 3-year-old suffered “brain damage” in a similar incident. The company’s treadmill has since been discontinued.
Ryan Furtado’s mother, who claims her son was “killed instantly” when his Peloton bike fell on him and slit an artery, is suing the company.
A Peloton store in Corte Madera, California, the company fell out of favor after the lockdown ended
In the lawsuit, Furtado is described as doing “basic” training when the tragic accident happened.
It was a dramatic downfall for the company which has become a fitness darling for those working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last month, Peloton managed to beat sales expectations in its fourth fiscal quarter, but the exercise equipment maker reported a bigger-than-expected loss, in part due to recall costs and a change in consumer spending.
In the lawsuit, Furtado is described as doing “basic” training when the tragic accident happened.
“Training requires riders to get off the bike to perform floor exercises. Ryan got off the bike and did the floor exercises. Upon rising from these exercises, Ryan used the bicycle to help him up,” the suit reads.
The lawsuit alleges that Peloton should have identified “foreseeable misuse whereby people would also use the bike in question to lift themselves off the ground during a workout, thereby increasing an unknown risk of injury to the user, as in Ryan’s case”.
As part of the “basic” training, runners are encouraged to use the bike to facilitate stretching.
Furtado’s heartbreaking obituary published in Maui. Now he was from the island, describes his life as “blooming” and calls his death “sudden”.
He was a graduate of the University of Redlands in California and was living in Brooklyn at the time of his death.
Peloton bikes feature a warning on the front of the bike, the lawsuit states that this warning is not sufficient.
A section of the lawsuit says the company should issue multiple warnings to “adequately warn the user of injuries that could occur if the bike in question is used to get up off the ground during a workout.”
In a answer, Peloton blamed Furtado’s death on its own negligence.
Furtado’s heartbreaking obituary published in Maui now, he was from the island, describes his life as “blooming” and calls his death “sudden”.
He was a graduate of the University of Redlands in California and was living in Brooklyn at the time of his death.
“In his life, he loved his family, friends, travel, music, baking, games and all things Star Wars. He loved the ocean and the land and found adventures wherever he could. He left us far too soon and will be loved forever,” the tribute reads.
A GoFundMe page which was created to help Furtado’s family with funeral costs of nearly $17,000.
This tribute describes him as a “beloved colleague, dear friend, shining star”.
“He was someone who made everyone feel welcome and special. Ryan was excellent at his job and excelled in friendship – always there for his people, who are many.”
The misfortunes seem endless for Peloton.
Earlier this year, the company sought to rebrand itself as a “health company” rather than an exercise bike maker.
“We’re changing perceptions of the home to the world, from fitness enthusiasts to people of all skill levels, from exclusivity to inclusiveness for all present and future Peloton members,” said Chief Marketing Officer Leslie Berland in a written statement in May.
The company rolled out new pricing for tiered subscriptions ranging from $12.99 to $24 per month, and said its app now offers the most free courses since its launch in June 2018.
In October, the company announced that it was cutting about 500 jobs, in addition to the nearly 800 layoffs made in August 2022. It also closed its distribution network in North America and transferred delivery work to third-party suppliers. .
Peloton saw incredible sales growth during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this year, the company sought to rebrand itself as a “health company” rather than an exercise bike maker.
Peloton executives at the time of the company’s September 2019 IPO
The New York-based company’s share price has increased more than fivefold in 2020, amid lockdowns that have made its pricey bikes and treadmills popular with customers who pay a monthly subscription to join workouts interactive.
Sales began to slow in 2021 as vaccines allowed people to move more freely from home, including to the gym.
In a letter to shareholders in August, Chairman and CEO Barry McCarthy said consumers were shifting their spending towards travel and experiences, but the New York-based company was starting to see an uptick in hardware sales. .
McCarthy also said the costs associated with the seatpost recall announced in May have far exceeded initial expectations.
“An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 of our 2.2 million affected members elected to suspend their monthly subscriptions in the fourth quarter pending receipt of a replacement seat position,” he added.
Peloton Interactive Inc. lost $241.8 million, or 68 cents per share, for the quarter ended June 30. A year earlier, the company had lost $1.26 billion, or $3.72 per share.
Wall Street was expecting a loss of 45 cents per share.
McCarthy warned about the next few quarters.
“We do not currently expect to maintain positive free cash flow over the next two quarters, primarily due to the seasonality of our hardware sales, timing of inventory payments, marketing expenses as we invest in the growth and prepare for the holiday season, and un-spend time on seatposts; but we hope to achieve this goal again in the second half of fiscal 2024,” he said.
Additionally, Peloton plans to resume pre-sales of its Tread+ treadmill in the United States during the holiday season. McCarthy said the Consumer Product Safety Commission approved its design for a new rear guard for the product last quarter. Peloton will begin upgrading existing Tread+ products later this year. He will set up the rear guard for members who request it, ie 17,000 to date.
For the first quarter, Peloton expects revenue of between $580 million and $600 million.
