Onewheel Lawsuit: The Deadly Electric Skateboard Recall

The Hazard and Recall

The Onewheel, made by Future Motion, is a single-wheeled, self-balancing electric skateboard. Regulators and lawsuits allege it can suddenly stop balancing or lurch — for example, if the rider exceeds its limits — throwing the rider off at speed. In September 2023, after the Consumer Product Safety Commission linked the boards to four deaths between 2019 and 2021 and injuries including traumatic brain injury and paralysis, Future Motion recalled about 300,000 Onewheels covering all models.

Notably, the company had initially resisted a recall before agreeing to one — a detail that features in the litigation.

The Remedy and Litigation

The recall remedy differed by model: a “Haptic Buzz” firmware update that warns riders when the board nears its limits for newer models (GT, Pint X, Pint, XR), and a pro-rated store credit for the oldest models on proof of disposal. Injury and wrongful-death lawsuits against Future Motion have been coordinated before a federal judge in the Northern District of California. No global settlement had been reached as this was written; the claims allege design defects and inadequate warnings.

A firmware “warning buzz” as a fix is itself contested by plaintiffs who argue it does not cure the underlying balance limitation.

What Riders Should Know

If you own a recalled Onewheel, install the firmware update or pursue the credit as the recall directs, and wear a helmet and protective gear — the injuries here are severe. Anyone hurt should preserve the board, its firmware/version details, and medical records, which are the evidence for an injury claim.