3,000 victims could join lawsuit over faulty Babboe cargo bikes

More than 3,000 owners of Babboe cargo bikes have registered as claimants via the website bakfietsclaim.nl, reported the law firm Birkway, which set up the hotline on Friday. Among other things, the website is used to determine the number of injured parties and the problems with the cargo bikes.

The website says Birkway needs to take stock of how many victims there are, what kind of problems they have, and what the damage consists of to investigate whether Babboe cargo bike owners can receive compensation. "The registration does not commit us to anything. At the moment, it only records the extent of the problem," Birkway said.

Last Wednesday, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) ordered cargo bike manufacturer Babboe to cease trading all of its cargo bikes with immediate effect, as their safety was not sufficiently guaranteed. The manufacturer must also recall cargo bikes that pose a serious safety risk. The NVWA's investigation revealed that the cargo bike manufacturer had received numerous reports of broken frames in recent years. According to the authority, Babboe did not do enough to deal with these reports. This included not investigating the causes and not informing the NVWA. In cooperation with the public prosecutor's office, it is being examined whether there are grounds for a criminal investigation, the NVWA stated on its website.

"For many families, the Babboe cargo bike is an important means of transportation. The children ride them to school and the sports club every day. The uncertainty about the safety of the bikes now hangs over these families like a sword of Damocles," reads the law firm's statement. According to Birkway, it does not matter whether the Babboe cargo bike is new or used, or whether a cargo bike is recalled or not. "Every Babboe - cargo bike counts!"

The law firm plans to contact the injured parties soon to find out what problems they are experiencing with the cargo bikes.