Β Get in the KNOW Β
Β on LA Startups & Tech Β
X
Image by Ansario/ Shutterstock
Parents of Child Killed in E-Bike Accident Sue Manufacturer, Signaling Future Challenges to Industry
Steve Huff
Steve Huff is an Editor and Reporter at dot.LA. Steve was previously managing editor for The Metaverse Post and before that deputy digital editor for Maxim magazine. He has written for Inside Hook, Observer and New York Mag. Steve is the author of two official tie-ins books for AMCβs hit βBreaking Badβ prequel, βBetter Call Saul.β Heβs also a classically-trained tenor and has performed with opera companies and orchestras all over the Eastern U.S. He lives in the greater Boston metro area with his wife, educator Dr. Dana Huff.
Tragedy struck the Steinsapir family on January 31, 2021, when 12-year-old daughter Molly was gravely injured while riding as a passenger on a Rad Power RadRunner e-bike. The accident occurred in Pacific Palisades while Molly was riding on the bike's rear rack. She suffered a severe brain injuryβthe girl underwent multiple surgeries but passed away just two weeks later.
In early August, the LA Times reported that Mollyβs attorney parents, Jonathan and Kaye Steinsapir, filed suit in a Los Angeles court against Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes, alleging negligence and product defects led to their daughterβs death.
The Steinsapirsβ suit comes as the micromobility industry continues a strong recovery from the lows of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the number of docked bikeshare systems has nearly doubled in the past five years, with over 100 such systems in operation nationwide. In addition, the number of individual docking stations has also grown, with 8,457 currently in use.
Itβs also a highly visible recovery: Travel to one of several major cities like Austin, Los Angeles or New York, and youβll eventually spot someone zipping down the street on one kind of electric ride or another.
Molly Steinsapir was a passenger on a privately-owned RadRunner e-bike when her 11-year-old friend, who was steering, lost control. The friend was only mildly injured in the accident, and her account of what happened led the Steinsapirs to believe that the product defects such as issues with the RadRunner braking system played a role. In addition to arguing that the e-bike was defective, the lawsuit also alleges that Molly's Giro Sport Design Inc. helmet was flawed.
Responding to dot.LA's request for comment, Rad Power Bikes said, βThe entire Rad Power Bikes team extends its deepest condolences to the Steinsapir family on the tragic loss of Molly Steinsapir. We are aware of the lawsuit that the family has filed. Rad Power Bikes does not comment on pending litigation, including this case, and therefore has no comment on the allegations in their complaint or the underlying accident.β
The Steinsapirβs suit goes explicitly after the bike and helmet makers. But, in general, it adds a new layer of litigation onto an industry already facing legal challenges on multiple frontsβsuch as when the city of San Diego sued several scooter companies in 2021 to ensure the firms would meet their obligations if they lost in court. Or when Lime was hit with a class-action lawsuit in 2020 that alleged, among other things, that the company didnβt maintain its inventory, leading to accidents and injuries. Then there are the multiple web pages maintained by law firms with titles like βNew York City Electric Scooter Accident Lawyerβ and βE-Scooter Disability Lawsuit.β
Additionally, as Jonathan Steinsapir told the Times, βRad Power Bikes has simply turned a blind eye to the fact that children under 16, under 18 are using their products all over the country.β
Itβs true as the Times reported that the buyerβs manual for the RadRunner neglects to mention that the bike shouldnβt be operated by people under 18 until near the end of the 57-page document. Olivier Taillieu, the attorney who filed suit on the couplesβ behalf, noted that e-bikes and scooters appeal to kids because βthey take you places you wouldnβt normally be able to go, which includes uphill.β
Children can easily access motorized scooters and bikes even when companies appear to take precautions. Parents might have to use an ID to open an account to rent scooters from one of the nationwide services like Lime, but once that account is established, itβs a no-brainer for kids to simply use their parentsβ credentials. Then children as young as 11 can access equipment capable of speeds up to 20mph on city streets. The American Academy of Pediatrics recognized the dangers three years ago when it recommended that no one under 16 operate e-scooters or electric bikesβthe same year researchers called injuries from motorized scooter use βa rising epidemic.β
As accidents happen and lawsuits mount, the e-bike industry will likely have to confront the prospect of more regulatory scrutiny from cities where theyβve established firm footholds.
From Your Site Articles
- What's Behind the Rise in E-Bikes? - dot.LA βΊ
- Los Angeles Micromobility News - dot.LA βΊ
- Micromobility Is Failing LA. Here's How to Fix It - dot.LA βΊ
Related Articles Around the Web
Steve Huff
Steve Huff is an Editor and Reporter at dot.LA. Steve was previously managing editor for The Metaverse Post and before that deputy digital editor for Maxim magazine. He has written for Inside Hook, Observer and New York Mag. Steve is the author of two official tie-ins books for AMCβs hit βBreaking Badβ prequel, βBetter Call Saul.β Heβs also a classically-trained tenor and has performed with opera companies and orchestras all over the Eastern U.S. He lives in the greater Boston metro area with his wife, educator Dr. Dana Huff.
steve@dot.la
Honey has inked a deal with the L.A. Galaxy to be stitched on their right sleeve. The online shopping and discount platform will also be an online deals partner, offering discounts for L.A. Galaxy fan merchandise, and it will be featured in the Galaxy's online marketing content.
The L.A. Galaxy will launch its secondary jersey on Wednesday with the Honey logo. Herbalife Nutrition will continue to be featured on the jersey front, as it has been for the past few years.
It's the first time the team has partnered with Honey.
"We are always looking for brands that are headquartered in Southern California to align ourselves with to help communicate a message of community and SoCal atmosphere to our fans," said Robert Vartan, vice president of AEG Global Partnerships, which owns the L.A. Galaxy. "Honey was [a partner] that we felt was the right time, the right place."
Honey is a free online platform that notifies users about price drops and discounts on ecommerce sites. The Los Angeles-based startup was acquired by PayPal in 2019 for $4 billion. The Galaxy is not its first sports team partner β last year it expanded a partnership with the L.A. Clippers, and the Honey logo was also stitched onto their jersey.
The NBA was the first major U.S. sports company to let teams display partners on player jerseys, and prior to being on the Clippers' sleeve, Honey had its logo on practice jerseys and the Clippers' training center. Last season was the first time the MLS allowed sponsored sleeve patches. Vartan said that the featured jersey icon is one of the most impactful ways for sponsors to advertise their brand.
"I think the idea is to always start somewhere," he said. "But to start somewhere impactful, and we felt like in our sports kit, being on our jersey, on the sleeve is a great way to launch in a really impactful way for them."
The Major League Soccer season begins on April 17, and will have a regular 2021 season, but without fans in the stands.
"Just like every sports team, we are following all the rules and regulations and guidelines set by the public health department locally and with the state," said Vartan. "Our goal is just optimistically to be there when we do get the approval to [have fans back]."
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Read moreShow less
Breanna De Vera
Breanna de Vera is dot.LA's editorial intern. She is currently a senior at the University of Southern California, studying journalism and English literature. She previously reported for the campus publications The Daily Trojan and Annenberg Media.
βοΈFTCβs "Click to Cancel" Rule and Its Ripple Effect on Tech
09:58 AM | October 18, 2024
π¦ Spotlight
Happy Friday Los Angeles,
The FTCβs new βClick to Cancelβ rule is shaking up subscription-based tech. Now, instead of navigating a maze of cancellation hurdles, users can cancel subscriptions as easily as they signed upβwith a single click. This shift is a wake-up call for SaaS, streaming, and app-based companies, where once-hidden exit options often kept users around simply because canceling was a hassle.
The rule also requires businesses to send regular renewal reminders, ensuring customers stay informed about upcoming charges. It's more than a cancellation buttonβitβs about transparency and giving users control over their decisions.
For startups, the impact goes deeper than UX adjustments. Many have relied on "dark patterns," which subtly discourage cancellations by hiding the exit. Now, companies must shift toward building genuine loyalty by delivering real value, not by complicating exits.
While this might affect retention rates initially, it could lead to more sustainable business models that rely on satisfaction-driven loyalty. Investors may start prioritizing companies that emphasize transparent, long-term engagement over those that depend on dark patterns to maintain retention metrics.
The rule opens the door to more ethical UX design and a truly user-centered approach across the tech industry. It may even set a precedent against manipulative design in other areas, such as privacy settings or payment methods.
Ultimately, the βClick to Cancelβ rule presents an opportunity for the tech industry to foster trust and build stronger customer relationships. Startups and established companies that embrace transparency will likely stand out as leaders in a new era of customer-centric tech, where trustβnot tricky designβis what retains users.
As the tech landscape continues to evolve, LA Tech Week 2024 offers a chance to explore these shifts in real-time. Check out the upcoming event lineups to stay informed and make the most of your time:
For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.
π€ Venture Deals
LA Companies
- Ghost, a company supporting top brands and retailers with streamlined logistics and fulfillment solutions, raised a $40M Series C funding round led by L Catterton to fuel its continued growth and innovation. - learn more
- Hello Cake, a sexual wellness and health brand, raised an $18M Series B funding round led by Silas Capital and Strand Equity and acquired Trigg Laboratories, a Las Vegas-based company, to expand its product line and market presence. - learn more
- Horizon Surgical Systems, a microsurgical robotics company, has raised a $30M Series A funding round led by ExSight Ventures to advance its platform, fund first-in-human studies, and expand its team to drive further innovation. - learn more
- Terray Therapeutics, a biotech company using generative AI to develop small-molecule therapeutics, raised $120M in a Series B funding round led by Bedford Ridge Capital and NVentures, to advance itβs internal programs to clinical trials and further develop its AI-driven platform, tNova. - learn more
LA Venture Funds
- Finality Capital Partners participated in a $2.85M seed round for Blockcast, a decentralized content delivery network focused on lowering streaming costs and enhancing quality for digital media providers. - learn more
- Assembly Ventures participated in a $27M Series A round for Monogoto, a provider of software-defined connectivity solutions that enable secure, cloud-based IoT and cellular network management on a global scale. - learn more
- StoryHouse Ventures participated in a $3M seed round for Parakeet Health, a generative AI company dedicated to enhancing patient engagement for healthcare providers - learn more
- Angeleno Group participated in a $32M Series C round for REsurety, a company that recently launched an innovative clean energy marketplace aimed at providing better financial and operational insights to support renewable energy transactions. - learn more
Read moreShow less
RELATEDTRENDING
LA TECH JOBS