WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - A Florida woman is suing the maker of a treadmill she says would occasionally stop and then restart without warning, causing her to fall on her face.
Alla Hibbs sued iFit Health and Fitness, Inc., formerly known as ICON Health and Fitness, Inc., Universal Technical Services, Inc. (UTS) and Jeffrey Lee Boyer on May 21 in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
The lawsuit stems from injuries Hibbs sustained on June 27, 2023, due to an allegedly defective NordicTrack treadmill that abruptly stopped and restarted at high speed.
Novoseletsky
| https://novoslaw.com/
Despite purchasing the treadmill in April 2020 along with a warranty and maintenance plan, Hibbs faced persistent issues with the equipment, she says. Her attempts to get it repaired were met with inadequate responses from the defendants, including sending parts without proper installation support, the suit says.
"She was standing on the belt when all of a sudden, it started moving at the prior speed level of 7," the lawsuit says.
"This defect caused Ms. Hibbs' legs to be knocked out from under her, her feet hit the wall behind her, and her face and upper body came crashing onto the moving belt."
The complaint alleges negligence on multiple counts against iFit and UTS for failing to repair the treadmill despite numerous calls for service. It also accuses Jeffrey Lee Boyer of negligence for not returning to complete the repairs after identifying a wiring issue.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act by iFit and UTS for their handling of maintenance plans and customer service.
Ellen Novoseletsky represents the plaintiff.