An Alberta correctional officer is suing Revelstoke Mountain Resort and Giant Bicycles after he crashed his bike at the resort in the summer of 2020.
In a notice of civil claim filed last week, Loren Frederickson claims Revelstoke Mountain Resort failed to “keep and maintain the premises in a reasonable and safe condition,” after he crashed while riding on a service road at the resort on July 26, 2020.
“As he rode down the service road, he suddenly and without warning encountered an unmarked, washout, man-made drainage ditch or open swale, covered by plywood, causing the rear suspension of the bike to break, causing the plaintiff to lose control of the bike, at which point he was launched off the bike 50 feet down an embankment,” Frederickson alleges in his notice of civil claim.
As a result of the crash, he says he suffered injuries to his shoulder and back, an alar ligament tear, along with abrasions and bruising. He says he also suffers from headaches, chronic pain, dizziness, depression, anxiety and stress as a result of the crash.
He claims he has incurred expenses and loss of earnings, which continue today.
“The plaintiff will require assistance in the future to complete household and handyman chores,” the suit says.
He's seeking general and special damages, in addition to future care costs and loss of potential earnings.
Frederickson has also named Giant Bicycle Canada in the suit. He had bought the 2020 Giant Trance 3 mountain bike in Calgary just 10 days before his crash, and he claims the bike contained a design defect.
The suit claims Giant breached its duty of care by “manufacturing the bike, its frame and componentry when it knew or ought to have known that the bike, its frame of componentry contained a design defect or design defects” and by “failing to properly design, manufacture or assemble the bike, its frame and componentry.”
He also claims Revelstoke Mountain Resort failed to “take any adequate measures, whether by way of examination, inspection, test, or otherwise, to ensure that the premises were in a reasonably safe condition, properly maintained and not hazardous.”
Revelstoke Mountain Resort, known for its world-renowned skiing and snowboarding terrain, has offered lift-accessed downhill mountain biking in the summer months since 2019.
The lawsuit was filed July 20, and as of publication, Revelstoke Mountain Resort has not yet filed a response to the claim. None of Frederickson's claims has been tested in court.
