Bell Sports, a subsidiary of Vista Outdoor, is an American maker of bicycle and motorcycle helmets. Recently, Bell Sports recalled Giro Merit helmets due to risk of head injury. Giro is a division of Bell Sports and manufactures helmets, goggles, apparel, shoes and soft goods for cycling, skiing and snowboarding.
According to this recall, the Merit helmets do not comply with U.S. CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) federal safety standard for bicycle helmets. The company states “the helmet strap may disengage with the helmet when pulled with relatively little force, posing a risk of injury to the user in a crash.” With this defect, the helmets could fail to protect if there is a crash, posing a risk of head injury.
This recall involves Giro Merit helmets that were manufactured prior to January 2023. These helmets can be identified by the model name which would read “Merit” on the rear/side of the helmet, or by the inner helmet sticker which reads “Merit” and has code GH230.
The company encourages consumers to stop using these helmets immediately and to contact Giro for a replacement model that has been validated safe and not unaffected by this safety defect.
Although this is a voluntary recall, and Giro reports they are not aware of any injuries caused by these helmets, there are still 15,000 models of this helmet that were sold that are now out in the community posing a risk to anyone who uses them.
In Massachusetts, the law requires product manufacturers like Giro to sell products that do not pose an unreasonable risk to consumers.
Manufacturers are required to:
- Eliminate dangers, if possible
- Guard against those dangers if the danger cannot reasonably be eliminated
- Warn against these dangers when the danger cannot be avoided otherwise.
Bell Sports and Giro should have been more diligent and aware to eliminate dangers before releasing these products onto the market. Manufacturers like these need to be held responsible for any careless actions that put potential risk out into the community.
At DILLER LAW, we represent families of people injured or killed by hazardous products. If someone in your family has suffered an injury because of a hazardous product, you should consult with an experienced lawyer who can evaluate whether or not the manufacturer, and/or seller of the product failed to keep you safe and free from foreseeable danger.
The lawyers at DILLER LAW do not charge a fee for the initial consultation because we generally work on a contingency fee, and we understand how difficult financially it is for those who have recently suffered an injury resulting from a hazardous product.
For a free legal consultation call us now at (866) 505-1826.
Additional Sources:
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Bell-Sports-Recalls-Giro-Merit-Helmets-Due-to-Risk-of-Head-Injury#:~:text=This%20recall%20only%20involves%20Giro,on%20it%20and%20also%20GH230