Peloton sued over Tread+ child safety

A woman is suing Peloton, claiming its treadmill is dangerous for children and pets, after a consumer watchdog agency urged Americans to stop using its $4,295 Tread+ following 39 reports of injuries and one child death. 

Shannon Albright of Rocklin, Calif., claims in a class-action lawsuit filed with the Northern District of California that Peloton’s warnings did not convey the potential safety hazards of its treadmill machine, though it was advertised as family-friendly with images of parents with children in front of the product, according to court documents obtained by FOX Business.

Albright cited previous incidents that have occurred in which children have been trapped and injured by the machine. The suit, first reported by TMZ, also mentions the death of one child and claims the Tread+ potentially could cause injuries such as broken bones, brain injury and death, as noted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). She's suing for over $5 million in damages. 

"Parents, while using the Tread+, have had their children approach the machine, out of eyesight of the parent, and those children been trapped and injured by the Tread+ machine," Albright claims. 

PELOTON, CONSUMER WATCHDOG SPAR OVER ALERT TO STOP USING TREADMILL AFTER CHILD'S DEATH, INJURIES 

The lawsuit also featured an advertisement from Peloton showing what appeared to be a mother and daughter exercising in front of its treadmill.

"Chillingly, the child featured in the picture is exactly the sort of victim that the Tread+ machine is uniquely capable of killing or maiming," Albright claims. 

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
PTON	PELOTON INTERACTIVE INC.	9.54	+0.48	+5.30%

"Right now, Peloton does not have additional statements," a company representative told FOX Business when contacted about the suit.

Earlier this week, the company said in a statement: "There is no reason to stop using the Tread+, as long as all warnings and safety instructions are followed. Children under 16 should never use the Tread+, and Members should keep children, pets, and objects away from the Tread+ at all times."

The CPSC warned Americans on Saturday that Peloton’s Tread+ product "poses serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures and death."

"In light of multiple reports of children becoming entrapped, pinned, and pulled under the rear roller of the product, CPSC urges consumers with children at home to stop using the product immediately," the CPSC alerted consumers. 

Albright also cites the CPSC's warning in the suit.

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Consumer Reports pulled its recommendation for the Tread+ on Wednesday following the CPSC's safety warning. Peloton had previously topped Consumer Reports' treadmill rankings.

"We are taking the rare and unusual step of removing the Peloton Tread+ from our ratings based on the incident data described by the CPSC, given the severity and the nature of the injuries and that the agency has not seen these types of injuries with other treadmills," said Liam McCormack, vice president of research, testing, and insights at Consumer Reports. 

The home fitness company, known for its spin bikes and treadmills that have seen demand skyrocket during the pandemic, said Sunday in a note to its members it would not issue a recall. 

In the note, Peloton CEO John Foley said the company had "no intention" of recalling the product and that the Tread+ is "safe when our warnings and safety instructions are followed," noting it is not for children under 16, children or pets.

Foley wrote that the company "fully cooperated with CPSC" by immediately reporting the incident about the child’s death with the exception of its request for "personally identifiable information of certain Members because those Members had specifically requested we not provide that information to CPSC." 

FOX Business' James Leggate, Caitlin McFall and Thomas Barrabi contributed to this report