A 24-year-old South Lyon man has filed a lawsuit against Nike, Inc. claiming faulty sneakers contributed to a knee injury sustained while playing basketball at a Salem Township church gymnasium.
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Courtesy NIKE, Inc.
The suit says that Gaudreau received a pair of NIKE Shox Deliver shoes as a gift in Decemeber 2011. On April 8, 2012, Gaudreau was wearing the shoes while playing in a pick-up basketball game at Salem Bible Church, said his attorney, Mark F. Miller of Mount Clemens.
While playing, “one of the columns supporting the heel of the left shoe detached from the insole” and caused Gaudreau’s knee to give out, which tore the anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus and cartilage, according to the lawsuit.
“He suffered a pretty bad injury,” Miller said.
Gaudreau played high school sports and was in good physical shape at the time of the injury, which required reconstructive surgery and kept Gaudreau from working his construction job, his attorney said.
The suit lists three counts of negligence.
“We raised a number of allegations in the complaint about the design and manufacture of the shoe,” Miller said.
The suit claims the shoes were not safe and were perhaps not properly tested or inspected. In addition to the knee injury, Gaudreau suffered permanent scarring, humiliation and embarrassment.
The suit seeks damages in excess of $25,000, the minimum amount needed for the case to be heard in circuit court.
Nike representatives did not return phone calls. There were no court dates yet scheduled. Miller said he wasn't sure if Nike had even been served with the lawsuit yet.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
