Have you been injured at the gym?
Going to the gym is a regular activity for many of us in Tampa. Whether you value a healthy lifestyle, need stress relief, or simply find it fun, regular workouts are a great way to boost your mind and body. Unfortunately, gyms can also be dangerous due to the heavy equipment and physical nature of the activities performed there. Injuries at the gym happen frequently, although many of them are self-inflicted or due to natural causes. However, this isn’t always the case.
Sometimes a gym’s negligence or a trainer’s reckless choices can lead to victims being seriously injured.
What kinds of injuries happen at the gym?
Anything from a stubbed toe to a catastrophic back injury can happen during a workout. However, injuries that could occur due to negligence include:
- traumatic brain injuries
- spinal injuries
- broken bones
These are serious, life-altering injuries that could leave you unable to function normally. You could endure weeks, months, or years of pain and treatment. It’s important to recognize that your injuries might not have been your fault and seek out legal help from an experienced Tampa lawyer as soon as possible after your accident.
Who is at fault when I’m injured at the gym?
How you received your injury is perhaps the most important piece of this puzzle.
If you acted recklessly, improperly used a workout machine, or pushed your body beyond its limitations on your own, you would be at fault. In some cases though, a gym, or a trainer, can be held liable for your injuries. These scenarios might look like:
Improperly maintained equipment.
Gyms are full of large-scale equipment that can pose a huge threat if not kept in optimal condition. Over time, screws loosen, elastic bands stretch too many times, springs wear out, and these pieces of workout gear require repair. If a gym is not keeping up with regular inspections and maintenance on their equipment, it’s a recipe for disaster. A tension spring or band that suddenly snaps, or a screw that comes loose, could cause serious, or even fatal, injuries to a victim.
Lack of attention to facilities.
In addition to maintaining equipment, maintaining the facility is an important part of gym ownership. Wet floors happen regularly thanks to patrons carrying water bottles and other drinks
Warning patrons of wet floors is especially important at the gym!
around the workout areas. Many cords and cables are needed to operate treadmills and other electric-powered machinery. Bathrooms can be slippery thanks to gym-goers showering and leaving behind residue of soap, shampoo, and body products. Each of these is a risk factor for slip-and-fall injuries. Your gym should be keeping facilities clean, regularly mopping floors, putting out necessary wet-floor signs, and managing cords properly as part of facility maintenance. If they aren’t, and you sustained an injury as a result, fault falls on them.
Poorly qualified trainers.
When you pay a membership fee to a gym, you trust them to provide knowledgeable and experienced trainers. If your gym failed to perform its due diligence and hired unprepared trainers for the job, you will pay the price. Inexperienced trainers can actually cause serious injuries to their clients, leaving them injured and experiencing pain, stiffness, and, in some cases, lifelong consequences of their time spent working out in their care. If your gym provides the trainers (i.e. you didn’t hire your own personal trainer to accompany you to the gym) then you may be able to hold them accountable for your injuries.
Does Brooks Law Group work with Tampa victims who were injured at the gym?
Absolutely. We have worked with hundreds of personal injury victims, helping them get the justice they deserved and the compensation they needed to heal and move forward in life. When you signed up for time at the gym, your goal was probably to get healthier, not end up in bed, or limited to slow and painful movement. You deserve a safe workout experience. If your gym did not provide that, then we help you hold them accountable for your pain and suffering.
As Tampa Bay’s chosen personal injury lawyers, Brooks Law Group stands for people just like you. You don’t have to worry about the affordability of hiring us to take on your case because our contingency fee means you don’t pay unless we win. Your initial case review with our team is free, giving you the peace of mind that we have your best interest at heart.
Don’t suffer in silence or take on the fight alone. Did you sustain injuries at the gym? If you believe the gym’s negligence played a part, it’s time to call us. Victims in Tampa know they can Look to Brooks.
