A woman injured while participating in a SoulCycle class in California has filed a negligence-based lawsuit naming the company, the class instructor, the Beverly Hills studio and up to 30 yet-to-be identified individuals as defendants.
Attorneys for Carmen Farias filed the nine-count, 47-page complaint seeking a jury trial on May 31 in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging violations of California state law. (The complaint can be read at the bottom of this page.) Farias' complaint alleges three counts of negligence, SoulCycle's failure to provide a copy of her written contract, strict products liability for defective design of the SoulCycle bike, strict products liability for failure to warn, breach of express warranties, breach of implied warranties and negligent products liability.
Farias attended a July 11, 2014, class with her co-workers from a Los Angeles-based personal injury law firm, which she claims contracted with SoulCycle to provide a class to the employees. The employees were allegedly given a SoulCycle waiver to complete on July 10. Farias claims she signed and dated the waiver about 30 minutes prior to the session, but she left the waiver on her work desk and never handed it to the defendants or anyone else. SoulCycle allegedly was never offered or received a copy of the completed waiver.
Farias identified an unknown employee or Angela Davis, as the instructor of the class. Davis is the instructor named as one of the defendants in the suit along with SoulCycle and SoulCycle Beverly Hills LLC. The SoulCycle location in Beverly Hills is a favorite of celebrities that include Oprah Winfrey, Demi Lovato and Kelly Rowland, according to People Magazine.
Farias' legs allegedly began to weaken during the session after a dumbbell exercise while on the bike. She attempted to stop pedaling, but the pedals on the SoulCycle flywheel-style bike continued to turn, according to the complaint. The instructor told riders "we don't take breaks," which caused embarrassment to Farias and a momentary attempt by her to pedal faster, according to the complaint.
Farias claims she did not know how to stop with her feet clipped in to the pedals with the cleated shoes provided by the studio. She allegedly was overcome with "fatigue and disorientation," fell off the bike and the momentum of the flywheel caused repeated dislocation of her left ankle with her feet locked into the pedals. Farias' injuries continue to cause her "great" pain and suffering, and she said that her injuries will result in some permanent disability, according to the complaint.
The suit contends the instructor and three unnamed employees failed to follow alleged SoulCycle policies and procedures that included, but were not limited to, instructing new riders on the safe operation of the SoulCycle bike.
Under one count, Farias claims that the SoulCycle bike was unaccompanied by adequate warnings regarding the location and proper use of the knob for slowing the flywheel's rotation. The cycle was "defective" due to inadequate post-marketing warning or instruction because the manufacturers knew or should have known the risk of injury to its users, according to the complaint.
Farias is seeking general damages, medical and related expenses, lawsuit costs and other relief the court deems just and proper. She also is seeking three times actual damages for the alleged failure to provide her with a copy of her signed contract.
A request from Club Industry to SoulCycle seeking comment for this story was not immediately returned on Friday. Gabby Etrog Cohen, senior vice president of public relations and brand strategy, SoulCycle, told Yahoo Beauty, "We don't comment on ongoing litigation."
A final status conference hearing is scheduled for Nov. 14, 2017, and a jury trial is scheduled for Nov. 30, 2017, according to court records.
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