Many of us join gyms to focus on our health, so it can be frustrating when the space you entered to improve yourself leaves you injured instead. While gyms are full of equipment and potential safety hazards, it is the responsibility of those operating the facility to maintain safe operating conditions and provide reasonable warnings about risks.
If you were injured at the gym, an Indianapolis gym injury lawyer can help assess your case to determine whether or not you can pursue compensation through a premises liability lawsuit.
People often assume that they cannot get compensation for a gym injury because they signed a waiver. Waivers are common documents for spaces where clients voluntarily assume inherent risks associated with their activities.
However, waivers do not release a facility from all liability. The operators are still responsible for avoiding gross negligence and clear safety violations. Under the law, gym members are considered invitees, which means they are invited onto the premises for business purposes. Established Indiana law (including the oft-cited Supreme Court case Burrell v. Meads, 569 N.E.2d 637, 639 (Ind. 1991)) makes it clear that invitees can expect a duty of reasonable care when they enter a gym.
Many causes of gym injuries can indicate a lack of duty of reasonable care from the facility’s ownership or some other entities, like the manufacturer of the machinery.
Equipment must be maintained for safety. Poorly maintained equipment could cause serious injuries. For example, a weight machine with a broken safety mechanism could cause a crushing accident. Similarly, a faulty treadmill could cause a fall that results in a head injury.
Slip and fall accidents can occur when walkways are not maintained. Cluttered spaces filled with trip hazards can result in added risk. Gyms should be cleaned frequently to maintain sanitation standards, but failure to clearly mark slick floors can create hazardous conditions for gymgoers.
Gymgoers are often called on to push their physical limits, but the facility must still maintain safety standards in order to fulfill its duty of reasonable care. For example, a fitness class that fails to adhere to basic safety standards could result in a medical episode, for which the facility or the trainer could be liable.
A gym injury case can be complicated to sort out because the liability could fall on multiple parties, or even be shared among them.
The facility’s owners are often the primary target of a gym injury lawsuit because they are responsible for maintaining the premises. However, some gym injuries are the result of faulty equipment, meaning the manufacturers of that equipment could be held liable for injuries sustained because of those defects. Lastly, many gyms have independent contractors who use the facilities for personal training and group fitness classes. These individuals or their third-party employer could be responsible for injuries that stem from a failure to practice the duty of reasonable care.
If you have been injured at the gym, you likely have questions about what options are available to you for compensation. Our Indianapolis gym injury lawyers can help assess your case and determine if there has been a breach of duty of care. If so, a personal injury lawyer can help you file a lawsuit, negotiate a settlement, and take the case to court if necessary. Call today to get started with a consultation.
