Elliptical Machine Fire Lawsuit Investigation
Last Updated on June 26, 2017
Investigation Complete
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org have finished their investigation into this matter.
Check back for any potential updates and take a look at our open investigations here. The information on this page is for reference only.
At A Glance
- This Alert Affects
- Anyone who owns a Johnson Health Tech elliptical machine that caught fire.
- What's Going On?
- In August 2015, Johnson Health Tech was hit with a $3 million civil penalty from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for failing to report that two of its elliptical machines could catch fire unexpectedly. Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are now investigating whether a class action can be filed on behalf of people and organizations that own the ellipticals in question.
- Which Products Are Affected?
- Matrix Fitness ascent trainers and elliptical trainers
What Started the Class Action Lawsuit Investigation?
Attorneys started looking into the ellipticals after Johnson Health came to a $3 million agreement with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to settle claims it failed to report two of its machines could catch fire.
Between March 2012 and October 2013, Johnson Health allegedly received complaints that some of its machines were short circuiting, sparking, smoking and even catching fire. The CPSC said that these problems stemmed from the machines’ tendency to pool moisture, such as sweat, water or cleaning solutions, in the power sockets. Although Johnson Health changed two design elements on the machines to fix the problem, it didn’t immediately notify authorities of the defect and put users at an unreasonable risk for serious injury and/or death, according to the CPSC.
The ellipticals were eventually recalled in early 2014. The machines were sold between September 2011 and December 2012 and retailed for anywhere between $6,000 and $11,000.
Which Elliptical Trainers Are Affected?
The settlement with the CPSC dealt specifically with the following two machines:
- Matrix Fitness ascent trainers
- Matrix Fitness elliptical trainers
How a Lawsuit Could Help
If a lawsuit can be filed against Johnson Health, consumers may be able to seek compensation for the cost of their machines and any damage resulting from a fire.
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