WASHINGTON (AP) – An Illinois bicycle company agreed to pay $1 million to resolve federal allegations that it waited too long to report injuries caused by defects in its Mongoose and Roadmaster bikes.

Brunswick Corp., of Lake Forest, failed to quickly report 31 serious incidents involving defective forks on its bicycles, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday. The forks broke apart during normal use of the bicycles and caused riders to fall and suffer serious head and face injuries.

“Companies should always report any and all information to the commission that could affect the safety of consumers,” said Hal Stratton, chairman of the safety commission. “Companies that fail to take such an approach expose themselves to the risk of civil penalties.”

The company recalled 103,000 of the bikes between May 2000 and April 2002.

Messages left with Brunswick seeking comment were not immediately returned.

The safety commission also announced settlements with two other companies. By settling, none of the companies admit violating any law.

Murray Inc., of Brentwood, Tenn., agreed to pay $375,000 to settle charges that the company failed to tell the commission about more than 900 reports of the gas tanks on its riding lawn mowers cracking and leaking fuel. The leaks led to six fires and one burn injury.

In March 2002, Murray recalled nearly 100,000 lawnmowers sold under the Murray, Murray Select, Craftsman and Wizard brand names.

Blue Coral-Slick 50 Inc., of Houston, agreed to pay $150,000 for failing to use child-resistant packaging on some of its windshield products. The products included bottles and pouches of Rain-X Super Glass Cleaner Concentrate, Rain-X Washer Fluid Additive and Rain-X Plus Washer Fluid Concentrate.

That case is the first safety commission civil penalty for a violation of the Poison Prevention Packaging Act, which requires child resistant closures on certain products.