On December 29, a lawsuit was transferred to federal court, which was initially filed in Taney County in November against Walmart and a tricycle manufacturer, Kent International.
According to the lawsuit filed, a Branson woman purchased a tricycle in December 2015 from the Walmart on Branson Hills Parkway. The tricycle was partially assembled, and a Walmart employee completed the assembly.
On April 4, 2016, the woman walked the tricycle on Cliff Drive in Branson and started riding it. While riding down the hill, the woman applied brakes, but the tricycle did not stop, and she had to turn abruptly to stop it.
The sudden halt resulted in a crash, and the woman suffered cuts and bruises along with a fractured tooth, broken nose, and traumatic brain injury.
The lawsuit states that the woman spent more than $40,000 in medical bills, and the brain injury causes severe headaches, making it difficult for her to learn new things, concentrate, see clearly, create new memories, and even speak.
The tricycle was later examined by engineers who determined that the brakes were not as per government standards. The suit alleges Walmart employees for improper training and asserts that they were under too much pressure to assemble bikes quickly.
