All about bicycles, electric-assisted bikes, technology and safety in the press

In our daily work as we deal with bicycle safety, technology and user manuals we come across lots of safety risks. The most frequent ones are published in articles of the leading German special-interest magazines TOUR – Europas Rennrad-Magazin Nr. 1, BIKE – Das Mountainbike Magazin Europas Nr. 1 and E-Bike – Das Pedelec-Magazin to make this information important for the sector accessible to a wider public.

For many years now the Eurobike Show Daily accompanying the annual international Eurobike Show has given us the opportunity to publish our perspective on major developments in the cycle industry in full-page articles.

We also speak regularly in independent lectures about all topics relating to bicycle technology and bicycle market. In addition, we are regularly cited by further special-interest magazines or trade journals as well as more and more by radio and television and in their media reports, which shows us that we are completely right with our information. The section NEWS informs you about the latest news from our specialist fields. The reports and publications of this section are listed chronologically or according to topics of interest.

SAZbike online, 2014/10/01
Reading time 0:40 minutes

Judgement forces manufacturers into more significant designations

A far-reaching judgement which has only now become known could have far-reaching consequences for the German bicycle sector: According to a court decision of the Nuremberg Higher Regional Court (OLG Nuremberg) of May 2014, the manufacturer is liable for damages, if the notice referring to the categorisation of the bicycle is missing in the user manual.

The background: A boy 12 years old at the moment of the accident had claimed damages as well as compensation for pain and suffering after having sustained severe injuries following a fall with his mountain bike. The frame of his mountain bike had broken during the landing of the front wheel after a wheelie, i.e. a riding manoeuvre on the rear wheel only. The decision of the Nuremberg Higher Regional Court (verdict of May 20, 2014, file no.: 4 U 206/14) is subsumed by the bicycle expert Zedler under one sentence: In the event, the user of a mountain bike falls due to frame breakage, the manufacturer of the mountain bike is liable (pursuant to section 1 (1), section 3 (1) lit.b of the German Product Liability Law) for the material and immaterial damage resulting thereof, if they have failed to point out in the user manual that the bicycle is not suitable for being used for tricks and riding actions usually possible for a mountain bike.

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