Heat Treatment Touches Every Aspect of Our Lives
“An Ohio couple has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging a defective NordicTrack treadmill caused the woman to fall and fracture her hip, requiring surgery to implant a metal plate, bolt and locking screws.
The complaint (PDF) was brought by Janet Bockey and Randall Baumgarte in the Ohio Court of Common Pleas for Hamilton County on October 16, naming iFIT Inc., Nordictrack Inc., Western & Southern Financial Group and other unknown entities as defendants.
Bockey and Baumgarte allege that NordicTrack improperly manufactured the treadmill and knew about defects involving its bolts. They claim those defects caused Bockey’s injuries, leaving her with permanent impairments.
NordicTrack and other major treadmill manufacturers have faced lawsuits in recent years involving allegations that defective designs and malfunctioning components caused serious injuries. The claims have raised concerns about unexpected changes in treadmill speed, mechanical failures and moving belts that can pose dangers to users and nearby children.
Last year, a New York woman filed a lawsuit against NordicTrack alleging a defective treadmill suddenly accelerated to its maximum speed without warning, causing her to lose her balance and fall face-first onto the moving belt. The woman claims the unexpected acceleration left her with serious injuries that could have been prevented through safer design features.
Similar safety concerns have also been raised about treadmills manufactured by Peloton. In September, a lawsuit alleged that the defective design of a Peloton treadmill created an entrapment hazard, causing a child’s hand to become trapped beneath the moving belt and resulting in serious injuries.
The allegations follow a series of safety problems involving Peloton treadmills, which led the company to recall more than 125,000 treadmills in 2021. The recall was announced after a child died and dozens of other incidents were reported involving children, pets and objects becoming trapped beneath the machines.
According to the complaint, Bockey and Baumgarte purchased a NordicTrack treadmill, model NTL14119, on May 2, 2020. Bockey regularly used the machine for walking and running several times a week and was training for a marathon when the accident occurred.
On February 18, 2022, Bockey was running on the treadmill when one of its two rear tension bolts allegedly fractured, causing the rear roller to shift and the moving belt to slip off track. As a result, her foot landed on the treadmill deck instead of the belt, causing her to lose her balance and fall from the machine onto her hip.
The fall left Bockey with fractures to her femur and hip, requiring emergency surgery to repair the damage. During the procedure, surgeons implanted permanent titanium hardware, including a plate, bolt and locking screws, to stabilize the fractured bone near her hip joint.
Following surgery, Bockey reportedly experienced severe pain and mental anguish and underwent extensive physical therapy. She relied on a walker for several months before transitioning to a cane, and the lawsuit indicates she continues to experience difficulty walking and cannot run without pain.
An investigation into the treadmill failure allegedly revealed fatigue striations on the fractured bolt, indicating damage from repeated stress. Further testing determined that the bolt had not undergone proper heat treatment during manufacturing, leaving it brittle and unable to withstand the repeated impact of normal treadmill use.
Bockey and Baumgarte maintain that the manufacturing defect caused the bolt to fracture and the treadmill belt to shift unexpectedly, resulting in her injuries. They also allege that safer alternative designs were available, but the manufacturers prioritized profits over consumer safety.
The couple further claims the manufacturers knew or should have known about the risks associated with the treadmill’s bolts, yet failed to warn consumers about the potential for sudden failures or provide instructions to inspect the components for signs of damage.
“The design of this bolt did not conform to SAE J429, an applicable private product standard in effect when the Treadmill left iFIT’s control. The bolt was also more dangerous than a reasonably prudent consumer would expect of the fastener holding the rear roller of a treadmill in ordinary use.” — Janet Bockey et al. v. iFIT Inc. et al.
The lawsuit raises allegations of design defect and failure to warn. It seeks compensation for medical expenses, out of pocket expenses, lost wages, physical pain and suffering and mental anguish.”