Fox Racing Shox CEO Bob Fox has made a "significant donation" to the fundraising appeal set up by friends of paralysed mountain biker Russell Pinder – who in 2008 accused the suspension company of negligence.
The case – which hinged on Pinder's claim that a design flaw with his Float 100R fork caused his front wheel to come loose, resulting in the crash which left him in a wheelchair – was eventually settled out of court.
A confidentiality agreement means details of the settlement will never be revealed. But it has now emerged that £14,000 raised this year by the RUSS Appeal for Britain's Air Ambulance services includes a "significant donation" from Mr Fox.
“The RUSS Appeal is a first-class cause named after a first-class guy," he said, via press release. "I'm pleased and honoured to be able to contribute to it.”
The RUSS Appeal – it stands for Riders United in Serious Situations – was created following Pinder's accident in Wales in March 2003. He and his family asked that all donations and whip-arounds be sent to the Air Ambulance, who had lifted him to safety.
Over £50,000 has now been donated in the name of UK mountain bikers. The latest funds, raised through donations and T-shirt sales, will pay for 14 lifesaving flights. For more information, visit www.russ-appeal.org.uk.
Pinder was left paralysed from the chest down and reliant on a wheelchair after his crash in the Brecon Beacons in 2003. The High Court in London heard that he was descending a rocky track at about 20mph, applying his disc brakes, when his front wheel detached from his fork, causing him to be thrown over the handlebars.
Fox's lawyers claimed the accident had not been caused by any "defect" in the fork. They said Pinder should have checked that the quick-release skewer on his front wheel was done up.
