A mountain biker is suing Specialized for damages after he was injured while riding the brand’s Turbo Levo e-mountain bike, the crash allegedly caused by a motor defect known to the American company.

According to a lawsuit filed last week in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, cyclist Steve Ruggiero was riding the Turbo Levo on the Alpine Trail in Oakridge, Oregon, when he crashed due to an unexpected acceleration, breaking seven ribs, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News reports.

Ruggiero’s suit claims that the crash was caused by issues surrounding the bike’s motor overrun, the pushing force an e-bike continues to provide after the rider removes pressure from the pedals, offering assistance for a brief set spell in order to maintain momentum.

On older or less expensive e-bikes, this overrun is often unintentional and a result of less advanced software or sensors, making the bike harder to control. But, as is the case with some other high-performance electric mountain bikes, overrun is incorporated into the design of the Turbo Levo.

On the new £12,500 S-Works Turbo Levo 4, for example, overrun is an adjustable feature that can be set to differing periods of assistance after a rider stops pedalling.

The lawsuit filed by Ruggiero alleges that issues with the Turbo Levo’s overrun can also cause the motor to provide more assistance than expected, at unexpected times, in any chosen setting.

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In the suit, the mountain biker says he was riding down a steep descent on the Alpine Trail in ‘eco’ mode before decelerating over a long flat section of loose shale. He then hit a section of loam soil, at which point his rear wheel “spun out, due to the manufacturing flaw”.

Ruggiero says issues with the bike’s overrun caused it to accelerate at a faster rate than normally found in eco mode, resulting in the wheel receiving excessive power. He then lost control of the bike and crashed, hearing the sound of ribs cracking as he hit the ground.

The lawsuit states: “When he opened his eyes and looked back, he saw the Turbo Levo on its side with a long J-shaped rut spun into the dirt where the rear wheel had suddenly accelerated and spun while driving him into the hillside.”

A few days after the crash, Ruggiero went to an urgent care clinic for x-rays, which came back negative, but after waking that night in more pain, and fearing internal injuries, paramedics were called and he was taken to a local hospital.

There, he was diagnosed with seven broken ribs on his left side but no other internal injuries. He remained in  hospital for three days receiving treatment. According to his lawsuit, Ruggiero claims his recovery from the crash has been a slow one, and that he has just started to resume physical activity, but isn’t sure if he’ll be able to return to his “previous level”.

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In the lawsuit, the cyclist alleges that Specialized have been aware of the design flaw which caused the crash for several years, the issue being discussed on several online mountain bike forums since 2017.

The suit also states that overrun problems on the Turbo Levo are still being brought up by forum users, with a number of these comments included in the complaint.

Ruggiero has asked for a jury trial and the awarding of general and specific damages, to be determined by the court, along with punitive damages, costs and fees, and “any further relief that the court determines proper”. No specific amounts have yet been claimed.