Matrix exercise equipment

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. Seen by a doctor or nurse

   Made May 22, 2025 · , sent to the company May 28, 2025 · , published by CPSC Jul 1, 2025

   The product, in the report: Matrix Fitness Multi-station Strength Tower involving 4 sides on each column. (900 pro series)

   Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

   May 13, 2025

   Subject: Urgent Petition for Investigation and Redress Concerning a Catastrophic Injury at [REDACTED] on January 24, 2024

   Case No: [REDACTED]

   Dear ,

   I am compelled to address your esteemed office with a formal petition for intervention, investigation, and redress regarding a grievous incident that transpired on January 24, 2024, at [REDACTED], located at [REDACTED]. This lamentable event, precipitated by egregious negligence on the part of [REDACTED] and manifest product liability by Matrix, the equipment manufacturer, has inflicted profound and irrevocable harm upon my person, fundamentally altering the trajectory of my existence. I beseech your authoritative intervention to ensure justice, accountability, and the implementation of stringent safeguards to preclude the recurrence of such calamities for others.

   On the date, while engaged in a routine bicep curl exercise during my first repetition utilizing a cable machine at [REDACTED] Fitness, I was subjected to a catastrophic failure of the equipment. (Matrix Tower, 2014-2015 series/All serial numbers, models, and configurations were recalled). Many components simultaneously broke, causing the steel or metal silver bar in the palm of my hands to strike me at an extreme velocity and speed with severe force, resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Surveillance footage, albeit of suboptimal quality, corroborates that the impact targeted the superior left quadrant of my cranium, precipitating a cascade of debilitating sequelae. Diagnosing is still ongoing. Subsequent medical evaluations have confirmed ongoing diagnoses of the following, with active treatment and a life care plan in place:

   Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

   Concussion

   Concussion Syndrome

   Pulsar Bulbar Affect (PBA)

   Fibromyalgia

   Chronic Migraines

   Bulged Discs

   Herniated Neck

   Radiculopathy

   IBS

   Allodynia

   Dystonia

   Hyperalgesia

   Central Sensitization

   These diagnoses have engendered a litany of persistent and incapacitating symptoms, including but not limited to:

   Intractable scalp pain, lipomas, hypersensitivity, and hypervigilance

   Acute, radiating pain, daily nausea, chronic fatigue, and systemic inflammation

   Cognitive impairments manifesting as memory deficits, concentration lapses, and overstimulation

   Neurological manifestations such as tremors, blurred vision, and ringing ears

   Profound emotional distress, cognitive debilitation, migraines, mandibular pain, and concomitant mental health challenges

   Heightened stress responses, neuropathic pain, and severe physical limitations

   As an individual afflicted with Type 1 Diabetes, my pre-existing condition exacerbated the ramifications of this injury. Diagnosed in high school, I faced significant challenges, including the loss of 22 [REDACTED] football offers and a transition to homeschooling after attending [REDACTED] High School. Despite these obstacles, I became a testament to resilience, achieving a 4.0 GPA at [REDACTED] College and [REDACTED] College while pursuing my dream of playing [REDACTED] football and eventually the [REDACTED]. Prior to this incident, I was in 100% health, aside from a minor shoulder tear that was excellently operated on. Under the care of [REDACTED], an eminent endocrinologist who transformed my life, I maintained excellent control over my diabetes, striving to be a role model for others with the disease. On and off the field, I valued being a good human being, embodying qualities of love, care, ambition, passion, relentlessness, grit, humility, and strength. This injury has robbed me of that vibrant identity, rendering me incapable of performing quotidian tasks, sustaining professional endeavors, or maintaining interpersonal relationships without substantial hardship. My days and nights now entail chronic pain and suffering, and the physical, cognitive, and emotional toll has been devastating, leaving me to grapple with chronic conditions that offer no foreseeable respite. The gyms negligence and the catastrophic failure of the Matrix machine have had a deep, everlasting impact on my physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, fundamentally altering every aspect of my life.

   In pursuit of justice, I initiated legal proceedings against [REDACTED], with a lawsuit formally lodged in January 2025 by [REDACTED]. The litigation alleges gross negligence by [REDACTED] for its failure to uphold requisite standards of equipment safety and product liability by Matrix, given that the machine in question belongs to a series previously implicated in a 2018 legal precedent. I possess photographic evidence of the severed cable, connector piece, and camera removal, documented within minutes of the incident despite my acute distress. However, my legal efforts have been severely undermined by the negligence of my previous attorney who was terminated off my case, [REDACTED] from [REDACTED]. His lack of specialization in handling complex TBI cases, failure to communicate his incapacity to manage such a case, and overall inaction prolonged my suffering and hindered my treatment, healing, and recovery. This mishandling has caused significant difficulties in securing new legal representation, further obstructing my path to justice. I urge your office to investigate these circumstances, as they have exacerbated the impact of this tragedy on my life and compromised the case itself.

   The surveillance footage provided by [REDACTED] is lamentably deficientcaptured at a mere fifteen frames per second from a camera positioned fifty yards distantrendering the incidents details obfuscated. The impact to my top left side of my skull is clear even in the gyms subquality footage from fifty yards out, give or take. Moreover, [REDACTED] dismantled the camera post-incident, an act I contend was a deliberate endeavor to suppress evidence, supported by visual evidence of the cameras removal post injury and incident. A dismissal motion was filed by the defense and it was denied. My case against [REDACTED] for gross negligence was approved by the court and Judge. The statute of limitations for this matter expires on January 24, 2026, with discovery interrogatory questions (Set 1) due by May 21, 2025.

   The negligence exhibited by [REDACTED], Matrix, and the mishandling by my attorney has brought an indelible and catastrophic impact upon my life. I am no longer capable of leading the existence I once knew, as the unrelenting physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges have consigned me to a state of perpetual adversity. My full care team is backing my diagnoses to this injury and incident. They are all prepared to testify, and I am supported by medical records, photographic evidence, and surveillance footage. I am fully prepared to furnish supplementary documentation, including attached photographic evidence of the severed cable, connector piece, and camera removal, as well as surveillance footage, to substantiate this petition and seek your guidance on ensuring justice is served.

   With a heavy heart, I sincerely and respectfully request that your office thoroughly investigate all aspects of this matter. I pray to God in good faith that [REDACTED] and Matrix, the manufacturer of the defective and unmaintained equipment, are held accountable to the utmost, thoroughly investigated, and found responsible for the catastrophic injuries and diagnoses that have developed as a result of this injury and incident.

   I extend my profound gratitude for your attention to this matter of utmost urgency. I eagerly await your response and the invaluable assistance your office can render in addressing this egregious injustice. Despite this tragedy, I remain positive, optimistic, and committed to fighting for my recovery and proper legal justice.

   Yours Sincerely,

   [REDACTED]

   Model

   Matrix Fitness Multi-station Strength Tower 900pro

   UPC

   NA

   Serial number

   NA

   Where

   Mission Viejo, California: Place of Recreation or Sports

   Who was involved

   Age 25, Male

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand Matrix, made or sold by Johnson Health Tech of North America

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, Seen by Medical Professional

2. Seen by a doctor or nurse

   Made May 9, 2017 · , sent to the company May 17, 2017 · , published by CPSC Jun 8, 2017

   The product, in the report: Johnson Health Tech “Matrix Fitness” elliptical exercise machine (http://www.matrixfitness.com/en/cardio/ellipticals) Model number: E-3X/5X/7X-03-F Serial number: EP 304 160 617 831

   My daughter was exercising on a Johnson Health Tech “Matrix Fitness” Elliptical exercise machine (http://www.matrixfitness.com/en/cardio/ellipticals) when her foot slipped forward off the foot pad and then was pinched between the foot pad and the body of the machine. This violently twisted her ankle and possibly tore tendons and caused a metacarpal fracture.

   The design of this machine is dangerous due to a combination of three specific design flaws:

   1. The design of the foot pad does not effectively prevent the foot from slipping forward. There is only a low (less than 1” high) rim at the forward edge of the foot pad.

   2. There is not enough clearance between the forward edge of the foot pad in its most forward position and the body of the machine. The clearance of approximately 1” is not enough to accommodate a foot that has slipped off the foot pad due to the previous design flaw.

   3. Even at low speed, the momentum of the machine pushes the foot pad forward with sufficient force to cause serious injury to a foot that has slipped off the foot pad and has been caught in the pinch point between the foot pad and the body of the machine.

   Model

   Elliptical

   Serial number

   EP 304 160 617 831

   Where

   United States: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 9, Female

   The reporter’s relation to them

   My Child

   As this report names them

   Brand Matrix Fitness, made or sold by Johnson Health Tech of North America

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, Seen by Medical Professional

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources