New Year Resolutions and Gym Injuries

A new year is a great time to think about getting into shape. New Year’s resolutions can give someone the focus to work on self-improvement, like eating better, getting regular exercise, or starting a gym regimen. However, people looking at prospective gym memberships should be aware of some of the dangers of a gym and watch out for gyms that do not put member safety first. 

Gym and Workout Related Injuries 

Common gym injuries can involve pulling a muscle, twisting an ankle, or spraining a wrist. However, other gym or workout-related injuries are caused by negligence of the gym owners, trainers, or other gym members. These types of injuries are avoidable if others took care to maintain a safe environment for gym members. Injuries caused by negligence can include: 

• Slip and fall on a wet floor
• Trip on torn carpet or broken flooring
• Improperly maintained machinery 
• Improperly calibrated machinery
• Trainers without proper training or supervision
• Fall injuries caused by lack of lighting
• Unsafe premises

A gym owner generally has a duty to visitors and gym members to maintain a safe environment. For example, if the gym is aware of a leaking drinking fountain that leaves a puddle of water on the ground, the gym may be negligent in failing to fix the drinking fountain or warn others of the slip hazard. If a gym member slips on the puddle and suffers a back injury, the gym may be liable under premises liability laws. 

Gyms may try and avoid any liability by requiring members to sign waivers. However, these waivers may not excuse all types of negligence. The gym may still be liable for intentional or reckless actions that cause injury. 

Defective Gym Equipment Injuries

This blog is not meant to scare you away from going to the gym, just to make sure you find the right gym that will take measures to keep the gym safe for everyone. If you want to skip the gym and do a workout at home, you should still be aware that some gym equipment could have defects or problems that make it dangerous for unsuspecting consumers. 

For example, in 2018, a number of Octane Fitness XT-One elliptical cross trainers were recalled because of a defect that could cause the foot pedals to drop suddenly, resulting in a fall hazard. There were at least 7 reports of the foot pedal dropping suddenly, causing injuries to users. 

Other gym and workout equipment that was recalled for hazards included faulty weight benches, exercise bikes, dumbbells, stair climbers, exercise machines, trampolines, and isometric exercise devices.  

When a defective product causes an injury, the injury victim can file a product liability claim for damages. Under product liability laws, the manufacturers, producers, and sellers of a defective product can be held responsible for injuries caused by the use of those products. Product liability generally falls under the following categories: 

• Manufacturing defect
• Design defect
• Failure to warn defect

Gym Injury Accident Claims

If you were injured in a gym or workout accident, contact an experienced personal injury attorney. To discuss your case with a member of our legal team, fill out an online case evaluation form or call (800) 529-6162 today.