Published
July 14, 2026
If you or someone in your family was hurt when a Onewheel suddenly pitched forward, this is the litigation. There is also a nationwide recall — but the recall fix and the injury lawsuits are two different things.
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes product-liability complaints and a federal safety recall. The defect and injury statements are unproven allegations. Future Motion has not been found liable, there is no certified class, and there is no injury settlement to claim from. The CPSC recall remedy is separate from the lawsuits. This page is informational and is not legal or medical advice.
What Is This About?
Future Motion, Inc. — the Santa Cruz, California maker of the Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboard — faces consolidated product-liability litigation from riders who say the boards can abruptly stop balancing and throw them off. The cases are gathered as In re: Future Motion, Inc. Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3087, before Judge Beth Labson Freeman in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.Running alongside the lawsuits is a federal safety recall: in September 2023, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Future Motion recalled about 300,000 Onewheel boards. The recall and the injury lawsuits are related but separate — one is a safety fix administered by the company and the agency, the other is litigation over alleged injuries. Future Motion has not been found liable, and the defect claims remain unproven allegations.
Status
MDL Consolidated — In Litigation
MDL 3087 · N.D. Cal. · Judge Beth Labson Freeman · consolidated Dec. 2023 · first bellwether trials scheduled 2026
The Recall
~300,000 boards recalled (CPSC, Sept. 2023)
All models · 4 reported deaths (2019–2021) · remedy: Haptic Buzz firmware update or store-credit refund by model
Can I Claim?
No injury claim form
No injury settlement · the recall remedy is separate (see recall.onewheel.com)
The "Nosedive" Injury Claims
A Onewheel is a one-wheeled, self-balancing electric board: a single large tire sits in the center of a deck, and onboard sensors and a motor keep the rider level as they lean to speed up, slow down, and steer. Plaintiffs allege that when the board's limits are exceeded, it can abruptly stop balancing or cut power, causing the front to pitch down and dig into the ground — a "nosedive" — flinging the rider forward with no chance to step off.Because a nosedive throws a rider head-first at speed, the injuries alleged in the litigation skew toward the head and upper body: traumatic brain injury, concussion, facial and dental injuries, and fractures. Future Motion has historically attributed such incidents to riders exceeding the board's capabilities rather than to a defect. Whether the boards are defective is exactly what the litigation will test; for now these are unproven allegations, and Future Motion disputes them.
The CPSC Recall (September 2023)
On September 29, 2023, the CPSC and Future Motion announced a recall of about 300,000 Onewheel boards — an all-models recall covering the original Onewheel, Onewheel+, Onewheel+ XR, Onewheel Pint, Onewheel Pint X, and Onewheel GT. The CPSC's notice cited four reported deaths between 2019 and 2021 and dozens of injury reports, including traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, and fractures. In reporting on the recall, at least three of the four riders who died were not wearing a helmet.The recall remedy depends on the model, which is an important detail:
• Newer models (Onewheel GT, Pint X, Pint, Onewheel+ XR): Update the board's firmware through the Onewheel app to add "Haptic Buzz" — a tactile and audible warning that alerts the rider when the board is nearing its limits or is in a low-battery or error state. These boards are not refunded; the warning is the fix.
• Older models that cannot be fixed by firmware (original Onewheel and Onewheel+): These lack the hardware for Haptic Buzz. Owners are told to stop riding and can request a pro-rated refund, issued as store credit, at recall.onewheel.com after confirming the board was disposed of or destroyed.
The recall remedy is a product-safety measure administered by Future Motion and the CPSC. It is not compensation for an injury, and using it does not require or resolve any lawsuit. Owners can find the official remedy at Future Motion's recall page.
The Injury MDL
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated the injury cases into MDL No. 3087 and transferred them to the Northern District of California by order dated December 8, 2023 — a venue chosen partly because Future Motion is based there. The Panel described the common question as whether the Onewheel is defective because it can unexpectedly stop or shut off, causing a nosedive that throws the rider. The MDL has grown steadily and, by reporting, to roughly 160 cases.Judge Freeman set the first bellwether trials — test cases whose outcomes can guide the rest — for 2026. Bellwether results and any settlement posture were not confirmed as of this writing, and settlement negotiations have been reported without a global resolution; OpenClassActions.com will update this page as verified developments land. Do not read a scheduled trial date as a verdict.
Is There a Onewheel Settlement?
No injury settlement. Riders pursue individual product-liability claims through their own counsel inside the MDL; there is no class settlement, no fund, and no online "claim form" for injuries. The only thing an owner can complete online is the CPSC recall remedy — the free Haptic Buzz firmware update or the store-credit refund — which, again, is a safety fix, not money for an injury.Who Is Affected and What to Do
• Injured riders: Riders (or families of riders) seriously hurt or killed in an alleged nosedive are the plaintiffs in MDL 3087. Injury claims are individual and fact-specific.• All owners of a recalled board: Every owner of a recalled model is covered by the recall regardless of injury. Complete the applicable remedy — the firmware update or the store-credit refund — through Future Motion's recall page, and wear a helmet and protective gear when riding.
• Keep records: your board model and serial number, purchase records, and any medical records if you were injured.
For other active drug, device, and product cases, see OCA's mass tort lawsuits hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Onewheel settlement yet?
No injury settlement exists. MDL 3087 is in litigation in the Northern District of California, and injured riders pursue individual claims. The CPSC recall remedy is separate and open to any owner of a recalled board.What is the recall remedy?
For newer models (GT, Pint X, Pint, +XR), a free Haptic Buzz firmware update. For the original Onewheel and Onewheel+, which cannot be fixed by firmware, a pro-rated store-credit refund at recall.onewheel.com after the board is destroyed.Do I need to file an injury claim online?
There is no online injury claim form. Injury cases are individual product-liability claims. The recall remedy is the only thing owners complete online, and it is a safety fix, not injury compensation.Sources
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — official Onewheel recall notice (Sept. 29, 2023): CPSC Recall Notice• Future Motion — official Onewheel recall / remedy page: Onewheel Recall Page
• CourtListener — docket for In re Future Motion, Inc. Products Liability Litigation, No. 5:23-md-03087 (N.D. Cal.): CourtListener Docket
• NPR — reporting on the Onewheel recall and reported deaths: NPR Coverage
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Status
MDL Consolidated — In Litigation (no injury settlement)
Case
In re Future Motion, Inc. Products Liability Litigation
MDL Number
MDL No. 3087 · No. 5:23-md-03087
Court
U.S. District Court, N.D. Cal. · Judge Beth Labson Freeman
Consolidated
December 8, 2023
Recall
CPSC · ~300,000 boards · September 29, 2023
Official Recall Page
Onewheel Recall Page
