A bicycle crash earlier this month took the life of a 58-year-old man. Police believe that a defect in the bike may be responsible for the death. The defective product seems to have been the fork in his bicycle which had previously been recalled for a structural weakness.
The fork is the portion of the bike’s frame which connects to and holds the front tire. A weakness in this part may have triggered an unexpected stop, causing the accident. The cyclist was found at approximately 5:30 p.m. on the street, near his Cervelo Soloist bicycle, by a police officer on his way to work. It was too late to do anything about the cyclist’s fatal injuries.
Cervelo is an extremely popular bicycle and it is likely that the brand has made its way into Louisiana. If the cause of the accident was indeed a defect in the design and construction of the bike, cyclists in Lake Charles and around Louisiana could be at risk of serious injury or death from future accidents.
Police are continuing their investigation into the accident, but their initial finding is that a mechanical failure that included a detachment of the fork from the rest of the bicycle caused the accident and death. No collision with any other vehicle occurred. At the time of his death, the bicycle rider was wearing a protective helmet, but still suffered head trauma from the force of his fall.
Regardless of what kind of bicycle it is, anyone in Louisiana who is seriously injured by a defective product can receive compensation from the bicycle manufacturer. For those family members who have lost loved ones to these kinds of accidents, a product liability lawyer can explain what options are available.
