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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 AMC’s hit “Breaking Bad” prequel, “Better Call Saul.” He’s 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 injury—the girl underwent multiple surgeries but passed away just two weeks later.
In early August, the LA Times reported that Molly’s 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 daughter’s death.
The Steinsapirs’ 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.
It’s also a highly visible recovery: Travel to one of several major cities like Austin, Los Angeles or New York, and you’ll 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, “The 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.”
The Steinsapir’s 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 fronts—such 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 didn’t maintain its inventory, leading to accidents and injuries. Then there are the multiple web pages maintained by law firms with titles like “New York City Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer” and “E-Scooter Disability Lawsuit.”
Additionally, as Jonathan Steinsapir told the Times, “Rad 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.”
It’s true as the Times reported that the buyer’s manual for the RadRunner neglects to mention that the bike shouldn’t be operated by people under 18 until near the end of the 57-page document. Olivier Taillieu, the attorney who filed suit on the couples’ behalf, noted that e-bikes and scooters appeal to kids because “they take you places you wouldn’t normally be able to go, which includes uphill.”
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, it’s a no-brainer for kids to simply use their parents’ 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 bikes—the same year researchers called injuries from motorized scooter use “a rising epidemic.”
As accidents happen and lawsuits mount, the e-bike industry will likely have to confront the prospect of more regulatory scrutiny from cities where they’ve established firm footholds.
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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 AMC’s hit “Breaking Bad” prequel, “Better Call Saul.” He’s 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
Body Complete Rx Founder Samia Gore On How She Turned Her Fitness Journey Into a Multi-Million Dollar Company
02:32 PM | September 27, 2022
Courtesy of Behind Her Empire, Samia Gore
Samia Gore was a mother of four when she decided to take a shot at starting her own business.
On this episode of the Behind Her Empire podcast, the Body Complete Rx founder discusses how her personal journey with health and fitness became the catalyst for a booming business.
In 2014, after delivering her fourth child, Gore began documenting her progress losing weight on Instagram. She quickly gained a decent sized following and lost 50 pounds. After some research and reflection, she felt that health for her “wasn’t just about losing weight” anymore. She started to think about health and wellness “as a whole.”
“That is what really kind of started my journey getting into the supplement industry,” Gore said. “Sharing with my audience even like, my therapy journey and all of what that looks like as a woman who's growing and changing and just wanting to be her best self. I feel like that is kind of my energy behind my brand.”
In 2016, she wrote a book to help others who wanted to go through a similar “mommy makeover.” She began learning about natural, plant-based supplements from a friend who worked as a nutritionist, and from there it was almost a natural progression to launching her own brand.
Because Gore already had a following from her book and Instagram posting, the early days of her business meant targeting the audience that already existed while working to gradually expand her reach. With a stroke of luck, her best advertisement came from a celebrity who used her product and posted about it on social media in 2018.
“I think it was a match made in heaven because I had already been growing my brand, but then when she shared her results from using my products, then it went crazy,” Gore said.
From that one promo, Gore was able to greatly expand her audience. She gained roughly 10,000 followers and sold thousands of dollars worth of product in only a few hours.
”In the morning, I checked my account and [we made] like $80,000 or something in sales,” she said.
Gore started her business with three products and now has 24. Although she was able to find success quickly, she never had anyone but herself to lean on in terms of financing. For financial security purposes, she kept her day job working for the federal government even when her business started booming.
“I was working as a federal government employee for 10 years before I left,” she said. “And when I left, I had been making six figures monthly with my business. But the reason why I stayed was because I wanted that security of still having a nine-to-five business.”
Gore attributes much of her business sense and drive to her mother who had her when she was just 19.
“My mother made handbags, she also did hair — and there were just different things that she always [had going on],” Gore said. “So the mindset that she had, I feel like I did take that on subconsciously.”
Gore’s advice to anyone working to launch their own business and dealing with naysayers is essentially – ignore them.
“Never let someone who's never done what you're doing tell you what you can't do,” she said.
Social and Engagement Editor Andria Moore contributed to this post.
Hear more of the Behind Her Empire podcast. Subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radioor wherever you get your podcasts.
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Yasmin Nouri
Yasmin is the host of the "Behind Her Empire" podcast, focused on highlighting self-made women leaders and entrepreneurs and how they tackle their career, money, family and life.
Each episode covers their unique hero's journey and what it really takes to build an empire with key lessons learned along the way. The goal of the series is to empower you to see what's possible & inspire you to create financial freedom in your own life.
LA Tech ‘Moves’: MeWe Taps Apple Co-founder, Aspiration Swipes Tesla Director
12:00 PM | August 05, 2022
Photo by James Opas | Modified by Joshua Letona
“Moves,” our roundup of job changes in L.A. tech, is presented by Interchange.LA, dot.LA's recruiting and career platform connecting Southern California's most exciting companies with top tech talent. Create a free Interchange.LA profile here—and if you're looking for ways to supercharge your recruiting efforts, find out more about Interchange.LA's white-glove recruiting service by emailing Sharmineh O’Farrill Lewis (sharmineh@dot.la). Please send job changes and personnel moves to moves@dot.la.
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Aspiration, a sustainable financial services company, appointed former Tesla director Tim Newell as its first chief innovation officer. Prior to leading teams at Tesla, Newell also worked under the Clinton Administration as a deputy director for policy in the White House office of science and technology.
All-electric vehicle manufacturing company Phoenix Motorcars hired industry veterans Lewis Liu as senior vice president of program management office and business development. Phoenix also hired Mark Hastings as senior vice president of corporate development and strategy and head of investor relations.
Counterpart, a management liability platform, welcomed Claudette Kellner as insurance product lead and Eric Marler as head of claims. Kellner served at Berkley Management Protection as vice president, while Marler previously served as an assistant vice president at the Hanover Insurance Group.
Legal tech and eDiscovery veteran Mark Wentworth joined compliance software company X1 as external vice president of sales and business development.
Sameday Health, a testing and healthcare provider, named Sarah Thomas as general counsel. Thomas previously served at digital health company Favor.
MeWe, an ad-free and privacy-first social network, tapped the co-founder of Apple Steve Wozniak to its advisory board, and co-founder of Harvard Connection Divya Narendra to its board of directors.
Internet marketplace Ad.net, welcomed former Interpublic CEO David Bell to its board of directors.
Science and technology company GATC Health, appointed addiction specialist Jayson A. Hymes as a new advisory board member.
AltaSea, a non-profit organization that aims to accelerate scientific collaboration, added South Bay philanthropist Melanie Lundquist to its board of trustees.
Correction:An earlier version stated Divya Narendra was added to MeWe's advisory board.
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Decerry Donato
Decerry Donato is a reporter at dot.LA. Prior to that, she was an editorial fellow at the company. Decerry received her bachelor's degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine. She continues to write stories to inform the community about issues or events that take place in the L.A. area. On the weekends, she can be found hiking in the Angeles National forest or sifting through racks at your local thrift store.
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