CHICAGO, IL —Meyers & Flowers, LLC is issuing a critical warning to professional athletes, sports agencies, and collegiate recruits regarding the severe legal and financial risks of signing endorsement contracts with footwear giant PUMA.
Recent court filings expose an aggressive litigation strategy by PUMA designed to intimidate injured athletes. When American athletes suffer career-ending injuries caused by defective PUMA footwear and exercise their legal rights in U.S. courts, PUMA responds by hauling them into German courts, subjecting them to millions of dollars in defensive litigation costs and predatory indemnification demands.
The Case of U.S. Track Star Abby Steiner
In April 2026, elite American sprinter Abby Steiner filed a product liability lawsuit against PUMA North America, Inc. in the Superior Court of Middlesex County, Massachusetts (Steiner v. PUMA North America, Inc. et al., Dkt. No. 2681CV01095). The lawsuit alleges that defective PUMA running shoes caused severe physical injuries that ultimately destroyed Steiner’s professional athletic career.
In response to being served in Massachusetts, PUMA NA appeared in court on June 11, 2026, asking the judge to dismiss the case or compel arbitration. However, just three weeks later, while briefing remained unresolved before the Massachusetts court, PUMA secretly launched an aggressive counter-lawsuit on July 2, 2026, in the Regional Court of Nuremberg-Fürth, Germany.
In the German action, PUMA names Abby Steiner, Champion Allison, and Damion Thomas, seeking:
- €11,600,000 (EUR) in total foreign claims.
- Declarations stripping the athletes of their right to seek redress for personal injuries suffered from defective PUMA footwear.
- Full financial indemnity, demanding that Steiner and her fellow athletes pay PUMA for all legal fees and damages incurred as a direct result of bringing personal injury claims in the United States.
On September 8, 2026, attorneys Peter J. Flowers and Frank V. Cesarone of Meyers & Flowers, alongside co-counsel Sugarman and Sugarman, P.C., filed a Motion for a Preliminary Anti-Suit Injunction to restrain PUMA North America from prosecuting the parallel German proceeding.
“PUMA’s tactic is clear. If an athlete is injured by their footwear and tries to hold them accountable in an American court, PUMA will attempt to bankrupt them in a foreign forum thousands of miles away,” said Peter J. Flowers, Founding Partner at Meyers & Flowers. “They are using a court in Nuremberg to punish and intimidate U.S. athletes for simply exercising their legal rights.”
A Severe Warning for Athletes and Representatives
Meyers & Flowers urges all athletes, sports managers, and legal advisors to exercise extreme caution before entering into any endorsement or sponsorship agreements with PUMA SE, PUMA North America, or their subsidiaries.
- Foreign Forum Risk: PUMA embeds dispute clauses that it later uses to attempt to force American athletes to litigate complex claims in Nuremberg, Germany, under foreign procedural laws.
- Extensive Financial Burden: Defending foreign legal actions in Germany while prosecuting a personal injury lawsuit in the U.S. requires immense financial resources, effectively pricing athletes out of seeking justice.
- Punitive Indemnity Provisions: As demonstrated in the Steiner litigation, PUMA attempts to turn an athlete’s attempt to seek compensation for career-ending injuries into an alleged ‘breach of contract’ that triggers millions of euros in claimed liabilities.
“Athletes dedicate their lives to reaching the pinnacle of their sports, trusting their sponsors to support their performance,” added Frank V. Cesarone, Partner. “PUMA’s conduct demonstrates an alarming disregard for athlete safety and a willingness to use predatory legal maneuvers against the very competitors who build their brand.”
Athletes, agents, and legal representatives who are currently negotiating with PUMA or who have suffered injuries from PUMA equipment are encouraged to contact Meyers & Flowers for a confidential evaluation of their contract and legal rights. Call Meyers & Flowers at 630-232-6363 for your free, no obligation case evaluation.
About Meyers & Flowers
Led by Illinois Top 100 Super Lawyer and former President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Peter J. Flowers, the Meyers & Flowers team of experienced trial attorneys routinely take on large challenges and succeed. For more than two decades, the firm has represented clients both locally in Chicago and nationally in a full spectrum of cases involving catastrophic personal injuries, sexual abuse, medical malpractice, product liability, and corporate litigation.
Contact us today at 630-232-6333 for your free, no obligation case evaluation.