Part of the charm of joining a gym is resting assured that the equipment is maintained and ready to go. The convenience of a gym membership is highlighted by showing up to a clean, functional, and safe workout environment where you can effortlessly hit your sets on the way home.
But gym injuries happen, and gym injuries caused by lack of maintenance or faulty or defective gym equipment are more common than you may think. Gyms often make you sign waivers, and insurance company lawyers will use deplorable victim-blaming tactics to save money.
If the gym’s failure to uphold basic safety and equipment standards led directly to your injury, it’s only natural to ask yourself, can you sue a gym for injury?
Can You Sue a Gym for an Injury — Key Takeaways
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- You may have a claim if you were injured in an accident caused by defective or poorly maintained gym equipment.
- You’ll have to prove that someone’s careless actions or negligence contributed to the injury.
- Potential negligent parties include the gym brand or owners or the equipment manufacturer, depending on the accident details.
- Gym equipment companies and your gym’s insurance outfit staff lawyers who are experts at complicating faulty gym equipment lawsuits by victim-blaming the injured person.
- You may be eligible to recover lost wages, pain and suffering, a loss of earning capacity, permanent disfigurement, or more.
Don’t trust insurance adjusters with your recovery. A free consultation with a personal injury lawyer can help determine if negligence contributed to your injury. Let our Zinda Law Group team negotiate on your behalf while you focus on healing.
This article covers how to know if you can sue a gym for injury or sue the equipment manufacturer. We’ll also discuss how an experienced personal injury firm like our team at Zinda Law Group works gym negligence cases.
John (Jack) Zinda
Founder / CEO
Over 100 years of combined experience representing injured victims across the country.
Available 24 / 7|Free ConsultationCan You Sue A Gym For Injuries From Faulty Equipment?
You can sue a gym for injuries if defective or poorly maintained equipment contributed to the accident. You can also sue if someone intentionally caused you harm. To figure out whether to sue the gym or the equipment manufacturer, consider whose careless actions caused the injury.
- Gyms have a duty to provide a safe environment for their customers.
- These duties include maintaining gym equipment, properly training and supervising their staff, and warning patrons of any hazards, such as broken machinery or wet floors.
- To prove negligence, you need to show the gym failed to uphold these basic safety standards.
If the gym knew or should have known that their gym equipment was poorly maintained, you may be able to sue them for any injuries their equipment caused.
A few examples of negligent behavior are if the gym didn’t inspect, clean, or repair its equipment regularly. Another clear negligence case is when multiple customers complain about faulty equipment, and the gym doesn’t address the issue.
If these careless or negligent actions lead to an injury, the gym may be held responsible. That said, if the equipment was defective from the factory, you may be able to sue the equipment manufacturer instead. Let’s take a look at how to get started.
Neil Solomon
Partner
Real results matter. We do not get paid unless we win your case.
Available 24 / 7|Free ConsultationHow Do I Sue a Gym for Injury — Do I Need a Lawyer to File a Fault Gym Equipment Lawsuit?
If you or someone you know was injured by faulty gym equipment, you have rights. First and foremost, you always want to seek medical attention for your injuries. A seasoned personal injury lawyer can negotiate on your behalf while you rest and recover.
Seek medical help:
See a doctor as soon as possible and follow their advice, even if you think your injuries are minor. Some symptoms wear off or get more complicated as adrenaline wears off. A doctor’s check-up makes sure you catch any irregularities before they get worse. It also establishes a clear connection between your symptoms and the gym accident.
Contact a personal injury lawyer:
A free attorney consultation with a personal injury lawyer can guide you on the best way to pursue compensation, whether from the gym or the equipment manufacturer. While you can do the following steps on this list alone, insurance lawyers will use anything they can to downplay your injuries or even victim-blame you to pay a lower settlement. Our seasoned staff at Zinda works on a no-win, no-fee guarantee. We can handle the legal process for you, from investigation to trial, starting with the next few steps on this list.
Report the injury:
Tell the gym manager or staff what happened and how the equipment was defective. It’s important to tell them exactly what happened without giving them more information than they need. Even if you’re friendly with the gym staff, their insurance lawyers are the ones we’ll be negotiating with, and they’re just looking at the bottom line. Once you’ve finished the report, ask for a physical copy.
Document the damage:
Take photos of your injuries, the equipment, and the gym. Write down any witness reports, including the names of other gym members or employees who have complained about the equipment responsible for your injury. Keep all receipts and records of your medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. We typically tell our clients to keep a pain journal. A pain journal is a written record of any discomfort or interference the injury causes to your daily life.
As we mentioned earlier, insurance lawyers will use anything they can to get out of paying your settlement. More than a few gyms force their members to sign waivers during sign-up. Let’s look at how these waivers affect if you can sue a gym for an injury. Then, we’ll discuss how a free consultation with an experienced member of Zinda Law Group can go over the details of your injury and waiver and see if you’ve got a case.
Jason Aldridge
Attorney
Standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ready to answer in your time of need.
Available 24 / 7|Free ConsultationCan I Sue a Gym for Injury if I Signed a Gym Waiver?
You can sue even if you signed a waiver if the waiver fails to absolve the gym from the specific risks that caused you injury. If the waiver violates the gym’s basic duty of customer care or if the gym staff’s gross negligence contributed to the injury, you may still have a case.
It’s common for gyms to force their members to sign waivers when they join. These waivers typically force the member to agree to claim responsibility for any injury they suffer on the premises.
While gym waivers are problematic for some faulty gym equipment lawsuit cases, the details are essential. When assessing a gym negligence case, we consider the specifics outlined in the waiver and the level of carelessness that led to the injury. Gym waivers don’t always apply to the situation and aren’t always enforceable.
One of the services we provide our clients is negotiating with the gym’s insurance lawyers on your behalf, starting with a thorough examination of the paperwork you signed when you joined. Let’s take a closer look at how Zinda Law Group’s personal injury lawyers can help.
Cole Gumm
Attorney
We are here to ensure you won’t have to face this difficult time alone.
Available 24 / 7|Free ConsultationCan You Sue a Gym for Injury Caused by Faulty Equipment? How Zinda Law Group’s Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
You may be entitled to compensation if you sustained injuries from a gym equipment accident caused by defects or inadequate maintenance. But their insurance lawyers will surely make you prove that someone’s negligent or reckless actions or the failure to maintain the equipment contributed to your injury.
The situation gets even more complicated if you signed a gym waiver. But even without one, gym equipment manufacturers and the legal team that works for your gym’s insurance company specialize in paying lower settlements. They’ll shift as much blame as possible onto the injured individual.
At Zinda Law Group, our personal injury attorneys have helped thousands of injury victims get their lives back on track. Our accident attorneys have the experience and resources to help victims build the strongest gym negligence cases possible.
We don’t think it’s right for victims recovering from injuries caused by someone else’s negligence to have to worry about paying out of pocket for legal representation. That’s why we offer 100% free consultations, and you’ll pay nothing unless we win your case. That’s our No-Win, No-Fee Guarantee.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to faulty gym equipment, call Zinda Law Group today at (888) 564-5596 for a free consultation with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers.
Jason Aldridge
Attorney
We have successfully represented clients in a wide variety of cases across the country.
Available 24 / 7|Free Consultation
