[muir_redwoods]

"If the kid had used the brakes, they would have worked. Lawyers are such scum."

What if he applied the hand brakes and the cable slipped out of the caliper? It could be due to faulty assembly at Walmart or a faulty part supplied by the Mfgr. It's not the kind of failure a non-mechanically inclined parent or rider would necessarily notice. I don't have enough facts to assess the relative responsibilities of all the parties involved which is why I guess they have trials.

[Jaidyn]

What if he applied the hand brakes and the cable slipped out of the caliper? Bingo! That happens often. Sometimes, it's the threads. Other times, a worker forgets to tighten it or uses the wrong torque. Other assemblers generally catch it. Some time ago, I read about bikes being recalled for bad brakes, forks, frames, you name it, especially after 1998, when Huffy's moved out of the country. Ten years ago, you could buy a bike at any retailer, including Walmart, and be confident your bike would last a long time. Now, we are saddled with inferior products, but China gets a pass because the bikes are cheap enough to replace. Busted skulls aren't.

[Ninian Dryhope]

"What if he applied the hand brakes and the cable slipped out of the caliper?"

What? On the front and rear brake at the same time? And not any other time that anyone was riding the bike except at exactly the time the kid needed to hit the brakes to avoid being run over by a car? The odds of that happening are a billion to one. It is more likely that the lawyer is lying. The odds of a lawyer lying for money are one out of one. Let's try to stay in the realm of reality here, shall we?