In the spirit of masterminding products that “bridge recreation and transportation,” Future Motion Inc. set out to create unique and fun riding machines, but did so by downplaying the risks of a design flaw that makes the machine nosedive sending riders to the pavement. The design flaw called “push back,” was intentionally put in place to protect the machine, but not the rider. It causes the board to lift upward in front as a warning to the rider when it is approaching the limits of physical capabilities, whether in terms of speed, weight, incline or a combination. When the devise senses such limits, it shuts off disconnecting the power required by the board for the self-balancing technology. In this moment, the board lurches violently forward into the ground sending riders to the pavement and causing crashes, nosedives, injuries, and deaths.

At the forefront of OneWheel skateboarding accidents, our firm has become national leaders in handling cases involving injuries sustained from riding the self-balancing board. In October 2020, we filed the first wrongful death lawsuit in the country against Future Motion alleging a rider’s death was caused by a defect in the board. Since the filing of that initial lawsuit, we have filed more than 60 additional lawsuits against Future Motion because of serious injuries sustained by riders of all types of OneWheel boards.

Our clients have sustained injuries as varied as fractures to elbows, shoulders, arms and legs, to significant concussions and traumatic brain injuries. Many of our clients have indicated that their injuries occurred when the board suddenly “nosedived” and/or stopped unexpectedly, causing them to be thrown off the board and seriously injured.

In December 2022, we subsequently filed a motion to coordinate all the proceedings filed in California against Future Motion in Alameda County Superior Court. That motion was granted and now all cases filed in California are set to be coordinated for all pre-trial purposes in Alameda County.