Can I Make A Personal Injury Claim If I Was Injured At The Gym?
For many people, attending the gym is the preferred option to stay fit and healthy.
Gym operators have a legal duty of care to ensure their members are in a safe environment during their visit to keep them as safe as possible. To do so, one would expect the gym to be well maintained, regularly inspected, risk assessed, and the equipment to be safe to use and to have instructions and safety advice.
It is advisable for new members of a gym to be given a full induction by qualified and knowledgeable instructors on all of the various pieces of equipment available in the facility and to be explained how to use them correctly and safely.
You could be eligible to make a personal injury claim if:
- The accident took place at the gym
- You have adhered to safety guidelines
- The accident resulted from the negligence facility’s operators
- You sustained an injury as a direct result of the accident
Types of accidents that could take place at the gym
- Faulty or defective gym equipment
- Lack of maintenance or repair of gym equipment
- Inadequate or inaccurate instruction given by members of staff
- Objects falling from heights
- Slipping or tripping on a wet floor/faulty flooring where no warning signs were present
While the main focus of this blog is the actual gym, it is without saying that the changing rooms and other areas of the building should also be kept safe.
The common types of injuries
- Knee, back, head, shoulder and neck injuries
- Soft tissue injuries such as strains and sprains
- Fractured bones
- Lacerations
So what should you do following an accident at the gym?
- As the burden of proof lies with the claimant, you should photograph or record the cause of the accident, if that is at all possible.
- You should report the accident to gym staff and ensure that the details are properly recorded. Prior to signing the accident book, please ensure the contents are factually accurate.
- You should take the details of witnesses present in the vicinity; if any.
- Check whether your accident could have been captured on CCTV. If so, ask a copy of the footage or request the staff members not to delete the footage.
- Seek medical attention as soon as practicable.
If you have been involved in an accident at the gym, for which you are not to blame, and sustained an injury as a direct result of that accident then you may be entitled to compensation. Please do not hesitate to contact our expert personal injury solicitors on 0808 271 9413 or request a call back for a free consultation.
