Amazon E-Bike Lawsuit Alleges Defective Foldable Design Caused Paralyzation

Claim joins a growing number of Amazon lawsuits now being filed against the retail giant, for selling dangerous and defective products through its platform.

A California man has filed a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of a collapsible electric bike and Amazon.com, alleging that design defects caused the e-bike to collapse during use, leaving him in a coma and permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

The complaint (PDF) was brought in Los Angeles Superior Court on June 16, involving claims by Robert Lewis, his wife Tenille Lewis (both individually and on behalf of their minor children, D.L. and T.L.), and Tripp Wagner Lewis. Amazon.com, Inc. and US Actbest Technology, Inc. are named as defendants in the case.

The product involved in the claim is a collapsible electric bicycle (e-bike) that was sold through Amazon and manufactured by US Actbest Technology, Inc., which featured foldable handlebars and a compact frame, which was intended to provide for easier storage and portability. 

These, and many other similar types of e-bikes are intended for urban commuting and are marketed as convenient options for travelers who need to carry or stow the bike in tight spaces. However, the lawsuit alleges that the locking mechanism in the foldable components was defective, leading to a sudden collapse during use.

According to the lawsuit, the incident occurred on December 30, 2024, when Lewis was riding the electric bike and the foldable handlebars suddenly malfunctioned and collapsed without warning. As he lost control, Lewis was violently thrown from the bike, resulting in a coma and permanent paralysis from the waist down.

The complaint alleges the e-bike was dangerously defective due to flaws in its design and manufacturing, particularly in the folding mechanism that was supposed to lock into place during use. It further claims that Lewis had no reasonable way to anticipate the failure, and was unable to stop the bike once the collapse began.

In addition to targeting US Actbest Technology, the manufacturer, the lawsuit highlights Amazon’s role in distributing the product, indicating that Amazon entered into a business agreement with Actbest to facilitate the e-bike’s sale through its online marketplace, profiting from each transaction. Despite marketing itself as a safe and reliable retailer, Amazon allegedly failed to perform adequate safety reviews or respond to known product hazards.

“Defendants knew or should have known that the Subject E-Bike was in a defective and unreasonably dangerous condition when they placed the product into the stream of commerce. An ordinary consumer does not expect that the Subject E-Bike’s foldable components will malfunction, fail, and collapse while riding the product.”

–Lewis et al. v. Amazon.com, Inc. et al.

Lewis presents claims for strict liability and negligence against both defendants and includes a separate cause of action against Amazon for negligent undertaking. The complaint accuses the retail giant of voluntarily assuming a duty to protect consumers from unsafe third-party products, yet failing to act on obvious design defects and customer complaints involving the e-bike.

In addition to seeking general, economic and non-economic damages, the Amazon e-bike lawsuit demands punitive damages and outlines the broader impact on Lewis’s family. His wife and three children are also named as plaintiffs, alleging loss of companionship, support and care due to the life-altering injuries he sustained.

Amazon Product Liability Lawsuits

The case is part of a growing number of product liability lawsuits filed against Amazon in recent years, which argue that the online retailer should be held accountable for defective or dangerous items sold through its platform, even when those products come from third-party sellers.

In one recent complaint, a Pennsylvania woman sued Amazon over a faulty heating pad, claiming the product’s manufacturer could not be identified and appeared to be a shell entity. In another case filed earlier this year in Florida, the parents of a two-year-old child alleged their child suffered severe burns when an Instant Pot pressure cooker purchased through Amazon exploded during normal use.

Federal regulators have also taken aim at Amazon’s legal responsibilities. In 2021, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) sued Amazon to compel it to take responsibility for recalling hazardous third-party products sold on its platform, including flammable sleepwear, malfunctioning carbon monoxide detectors and unsafe children’s items. Amazon initially resisted, but in the years since, the issue has remained a central focus of ongoing litigation and regulatory debate.

Most recently, Amazon filed its own lawsuit against the CPSC, arguing that it should not be held responsible for initiating recalls or warnings for third-party products, despite controlling key aspects of the sale, fulfillment and delivery process.

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