As parents and students begin preparing for the coming school year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a voluntary recall for a single speed bicycle sold by Campus Cruisers LLC of Boulder, Colorado.

Although the bicycle is popular among high school and college students, the CPSC has received several reports of crashes caused by the bicycle’s front fork cracking and breaking. This type of front fork failure is extremely dangerous because such a break generally causes the rider to go head first onto the ground or pavement. Serious head and neck injuries can result from this type of crash. The bicycle was sold to independent bicycle dealers in North Carolina and in other states from March 2010 through May 2010. The cost of the bicycle was approximately $450. The bicycle was manufactured by a company in China.

If you look closely at the picture, you can see the crack in the front fork of this bicycle. Bicycles can be great fun, but you should regularly inspect the bicycle’s frame, fork, handlebars, pedals, gears, and other components for cracks and wear and tear. More than 500,000 people are treated in emergency rooms each year for bicycle related injuries, and more than 700 people die from injuries received in bike crashes. Many of these injuries are caused by rider errors and not wearing a bicycle helmet, but there are also many injuries caused by improper maintenance and product defects.

If you purchase a new bicycle from a large store, like Target or K-Mart, you should first take the bike to your local bicycle store to have it thoroughly inspected and adjusted to fit the rider. As I discussed in a prior posting, some bicycle product defects are not easily discovered, and the defective bicycle can be ridden for quite some time before it causes a problem. Unfortunately, a defect in a bicycle has the potential to cause catastrophic injuries. Spending the $20 or $30 for such an inspection is well worth the money. Unless you are a very experienced bicycle rider and have learned how to properly inspect a bicycle for potential hazards, you should take your new bicycle to a local bike shop.

At Davis Law Group, we help people who have been seriously injured by various products that should never have been sold in the first place. If you or a loved one has been hurt by a defective product, and you would like to speak with an experienced defective product attorney, give Asheville Product Liability Attorney Brian Davis a call. The consultation is free, and there is no obligation.