Can Future Motion be liable for Onewheel crash injuries?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that Onewheel devices can "stop balancing the rider, posing a crash hazard that can result in serious injury or death."

The CPSC documented ejection as a high-risk failure mode and connected the product to at least four deaths and serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, fractures, and ligament damage.

These findings establish that the product has a known safety hazard capable of causing severe or fatal injuries, both of which are necessary components in supporting a claim.

Legal theories that apply to Onewheel injury cases

Injury claims against Future Motion typically involve one or more of the following theories:

• Design Defect: claims are built on the argument that a manufacturer is liable when the product's design is unreasonably dangerous. With the CPSC specifically identifying a balancing failure and ejection hazard, the product can fail in ways no rider could safely anticipate or avoid. That supports both the inherent unsafety argument under foreseeable use and the possibility that safer design alternatives existed.
• Failure to Warn: claims are grounded in the duty manufacturers have to warn users of dangers that aren't obvious from the product itself. Federal regulators warned consumers that Onewheel devices can unexpectedly stop balancing and eject riders, with serious injury or death as possible outcomes. Liability may follow when those risks weren't clearly communicated to users or when warnings didn't measure up to the severity of the hazard involved.
• Manufacturing Defect: claims apply when a specific unit malfunctions, such as through sensor failure or sudden shutdown. Even if the overall design is sound, a defect in a specific product can give rise to liability. The nationwide recall of approximately 300,000 units across all models suggests this goes well beyond isolated incidents.
• Post-Sale Duty and Recall-Related Liability: holds that a manufacturer's responsibilities don't end when a product leaves the shelf. After the CPSC warned consumers to stop using Onewheel products due to risks of death and injury, a nationwide recall was implemented, offering firmware updates or refunds. Where corrective action was delayed, the remedy was inadequate, or notification of users fell short, liability can arise.

How does Future Motion usually respond to these claims?

According to Future Motion, the product is safe when used as intended, and riders are expected to follow safety guidelines and wear protective gear. As is common in litigation involving these devices, arguments around rider misuse, assumption of risk, and comparative fault have been part of the defense.

Liability in these cases is fact-specific and depends on how the crash happened, whether warnings were followed, and whether the product malfunctioned. Even when these defenses come into play, injured riders may still be able to recover compensation if a product defect played a substantial role in causing the harm.

How The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary can help with Onewheel injury claims

The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary is here to help you file an injury claim if a product defect caused your injuries after you were hurt in an Onewheel crash. Our firm represents injured riders across the country and works with experts who analyze device failures, the adequacy of warnings, and whether safer design options were available. Contact our office for a free case evaluation to find out if you have a claim worth pursuing.