Monday, December 2, 2013

Burley Recalls Tailwind Racks Used For Towing Children Due to Fall Hazard

Burley Design, makers of the well known "Burley Trailer," recently announced a recall of its Tailwind Racks due to a fall hazard. The aluminum Tailwind Racks were used in hitching children’s trailercycles to adult bicycles. Burley has received 11 reports of Tailwind Racks breaking, which can cause the trailercycles to disconnect. One cyclist has already suffered a broken leg.

The double-sided racks were either sold individually in black or silver or with Kazoo or Piccolo brand trailercycles in black. The Tailwind Racks were sold online and nationwide by authorized dealers from November 2011 to September 2013. The Racks themselves were priced at $65, while the trailercycles were sold from $300 to $350. If you suspect you may have a Burley Tailwind Rack, check the back plate to see if the Burley logo is present.

Purchasers of the recalled Tailwind Racks should immediately stop riding the trailercycles and contact Burley Design at (800) 311-5294 to receive a free replacement rack. Burley will replace your aluminum Tailwind Rack with a steel Moose Racks at no charge.

The Illinois Bicycle Attorneys at Keating Law Offices strongly encourage Illinois' bicyclists to stay informed regarding recalls that may affect their bicycles or equipment. While manufacturers rarely intend to sell defective products, recalls are a reminder that product defects posing serious risks to cyclists can be discovered once a product is already on the market. It is important to monitor the safety of your bicycle and cycling equipment both before and after a purchase. The fact that this product recall involves a product used exclusively by children is particularly alarming.

Under Illinois law, the manufacturer of a product can be held liable when their product fails and the person was using the product in a reasonably foreseeable manner. This means that if a bicycle crash occurs because a part of the bike broke or failed during normal use, the manufacturer of that product would be responsible for any injuries or other damages suffered by the rider.

The attorneys at Keating Law Offices have handled numerous product liability cases. If you have any questions regarding a product liability case or other personal injury matter, please contact the firm at 312-239-6787 or attorney Mike Keating at MKeating@KeatingLegal.com.