Suit Filed against Wal-Mart for Defective Bicycles

SAN RAFAEL, US (Feb 15). - A class-action lawsuit was filed Monday against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and a California company for importing defective bicycles that injured at least nine children. The suit, filed in Marin County Superior Court, alleges that Wal-Mart conspired with San Rafael-based importer Dynacraft Industries and investigator Carl Warren & Co. to cover up the fact that the front wheels of the bicycles can easily detach after hitting a bump, causing serious injuries. According to the suit, at least nine children sustained injuries ranging from broken teeth to head trauma. "I have nine individual plaintiffs from all over the country - who got these bicycles for birthdays or Christmas - who went over a bump and the wheel came off," Mark Webb, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "In each case, they reported it to Wal-Mart, and Wal-Mart continues to sell the product. These bikes are out there still being used by kids who don't know what they are riding." Dynacraft Industries imported the Next brand bicycles from China and Carl Warren investigated complaints, according to the suit. A spokeswomen for Wal-Mart said she had not seen the lawsuit and therefore could not comment. No one from Dynacraft was made available for comment. Source: San Francisco Chronicle