Future Motion's Onewheel electric skateboards have been linked to four deaths and dozens of serious injuries across the United States, including multiple accidents reported in Florida.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall of all 300,000 Onewheel devices sold since 2014 after the company initially refused to cooperate with federal safety regulators. If you or a loved one suffered injuries from an Onewheel accident in Miami or anywhere in Florida, The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary can help you pursue compensation.
Case EvaluationOnewheel electric skateboards are self-balancing personal transportation devices featuring a single large wheel powered by an electric motor. The skateboards can stop balancing the rider if the boards' limits are exceeded, posing a crash hazard that can result in serious injury or death. The devices use a "pushback" feature designed to warn riders when approaching operational limits, but this safety mechanism has proven inadequate.
When the motor's resources reach a critical point, the motor's normal ability to help the rider balance disappears, and the rider will experience an unexpected nosedive. The front of the board violently slams into the ground, ejecting the rider forward onto pavement or roadways. These nosedive incidents occur without warning and have caused catastrophic injuries even to experienced riders.
The September 2023 recall covers all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboard models sold between January 2014 and September 2023. The recalled products were sold online and through independent retailers from January 2014 through September 2023 for between $1,050 and $2,200. All models are included in the recall, with different remedies available depending on the model:
Consumers with Onewheel GT, Pint X, Pint, or XR models can download a firmware update that includes "Haptic Buzz" alert functionality. This tactile and audible warning system provides buzzing sensations when nearing the board's limits. However, the original Onewheel and Onewheel+ models cannot be updated and should no longer be used. Owners of these older models can arrange for a prorated refund through Future Motion's recall website.
Future Motion has received dozens of reports of incidents involving the electric skateboards, including four reported deaths between 2019 and 2021 and injuries such as traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, upper-body fractures, lower-body fractures, and ligament damage. The four deaths resulted from head trauma, and in at least three of those incidents, the rider was not wearing a helmet. Common injuries from Onewheel accidents include:
In November 2022, the CPSC issued a "warning" about the "risk of death and serious injury" with Future Motion's Onewheel skateboards without an actual recall, which doesn't happen often. Future Motion refused to agree to an acceptable recall at that time and rejected what it called the safety commission's "unjustified and alarmist claims."
The company maintained its products were safe when operated using common sense practices, even as injury reports continued mounting. At least 51 complaints about Onewheel skateboards were filed with the CPSC in 2022. Forty-seven of them said they were ejected or fell after the skateboard stopped or the self-balancing feature stopped. Most reported injuries include broken bones, concussions, and cuts.
Future Motion only agreed to the comprehensive recall in September 2023, nearly a year after federal safety regulators first warned consumers. This delayed response left thousands of riders at risk during the months the company resisted recalling the dangerous products.
Over 80 Onewheel injury lawsuits are now pending in federal court, consolidated in multidistrict litigation in the Northern District of California. The first lawsuit was filed in May 2020 after a Houston man died when his Onewheel suddenly shut off. Since then, families and injured riders across the country have filed claims alleging Future Motion knowingly sold defective products while falsely advertising them as safe.
Several Florida residents have taken legal action through Onewheel lawsuits. Jonathan Burke filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, in September 2023 after his Onewheel+ XR abruptly stopped and nosedived, throwing him onto the pavement. These cases make clear how widespread the defect is and the significant injuries it has caused riders in our state.
The first bellwether trials are on the calendar for April and June 2026. What juries make of the evidence surrounding Future Motion's knowledge of the defect and its failure to warn or recall in time will become much clearer once those trials unfold.
The compensation recoverable in a Future Motion product liability case depends on how serious your injuries are and the effect they have had on your life. Damages that are typically available include:
You or your family may have grounds for a product liability claim if an Onewheel electric skateboard caused injury or loss. The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary represents injured riders and families throughout Miami and South Florida who have been affected by Onewheel accidents. Product liability claims against Future Motion may be based on:
Injuries from defective Onewheel electric skateboards can have serious consequences, and knowing your legal options early matters. Reach out to our law firm as soon as possible, and we'll take a close look at your situation and let you know whether pursuing a case makes sense for you.
Every aspect of your case will be carefully investigated by our legal team, and we will work hard to pursue the maximum compensation available from Future Motion and any other parties whose negligence contributed to your harm. Contact our Miami office today for a free case evaluation, and we will review the circumstances of your accident and determine whether you have grounds to pursue compensation.