New York man Ryan Furtado was killed “instantly,” the lawsuit says

A New York man’s family claims he killed him Peloton He sold his bike just six months after purchasing it, but the company insists that its own negligence caused his death, according to a lawsuit filed in state court.

Ryan Furtado, 32, was doing a “core workout” on the expensive exercise bike on Jan. 13, 2022, when he got off to do some floor exercises, the lawsuit says.

As Furtado got up, he grabbed the bike to help him, but it soon flipped and hit his neck and face, severing his carotid artery and killing him “instantly,” the lawsuit says.

When members of the New York City Police Department arrived at his home, the bicycle was still on his neck and face, the lawsuit states. It had been purchased just six months earlier, in July 2021.

The lawsuit, filed in March 2023 in Brooklyn Supreme Civil Court by Furtado’s mother, Johanna Furtado, is several months old. But it was brought to light by the Daily Beast in an article published on Wednesday.

While at least one child was killed by Peloton’s treadmill in March 2021, Furtado’s death is the first known fatality linked to the company’s hugely popular exercise bike.

Shares of Peloton fell about 3% in intraday trading on Thursday.

In a statement Thursday, Peloton spokesman Ben Boyd said, “We extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Furtado family for this unfortunate accident. As a company that puts members first, the health and safety of our member community is our top priority.”

Furtado’s mother accuses her son’s bike of being “defective and disproportionately dangerous in its design, instructions and warning.” She is demanding unspecified damages.

Peloton claims it is not liable and that “negligence” was to blame.

“To the best of our knowledge and belief, the incident giving rise to this lawsuit was caused by the negligence or other culpable conduct of one or more parties for which Peloton is not responsible and therefore Peloton is not legally responsible,” reads Peloton’s response to the The lawsuit, filed April 17, says.

“No action or inaction by Peloton was a direct cause of the alleged injuries or damages suffered by plaintiff or his deceased.”

Peloton’s training equipment has been recalled several times in recent years.

In May, his bike was recalled for a faulty seatpost that could unexpectedly detach and break during use. The move followed 12 reported injuries.

The company previously recalled its Tread+ after a child died and 90 injuries were reported related to the machine, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

In Peloton’s most recent earnings report for the three months ended June 30, the company said the recall of its bike seatpost cost much more than expected and may result in members canceling their subscriptions.