Have You Or A Loved One Suffered A Gym Injury Because Of An Accident At Gym That Wasn’t Your Fault? You Could Have A Gym Injury Claim.
Every day, people all over the world go to the gym to exercise, relieve stress, because we want to stay healthy, and have fun. In the UK there are also millions of people who hold gym memberships, and a session at the gym has become part of the weekly- and even daily- routines. Unfortunately, gyms can also be very dangerous spaces for users, as they contain many types of heavy and complex specialist training equipment, which have moving parts that can cause serious harm or even death. Because of this, it’s essential that strict health and safety rules are followed when you use a gym.
Gym Staff and Gym Trainers
Gym staff and trainers should receive proper training to help minimise gym accidents and prevent harm from being suffered by gym users. Gym trainers and staff should be sufficiently qualified to provide you with appropriate advice so that you do not hurt yourself when using the machines or participating in a class. All in all, gyms and other fitness centres have a duty to keep you safe while you are using their facilities and training. If they have failed to do this and you or a loved one has suffered an injury as a result, you could have a Gym injury claim.
Causes of Gym Injury Claims
Gym accidents can happen as a result of a combination of factors. They can happen when someone uses faulty equipment, when gym instructors provide bad advice on how to exercise or how to use the equipment, due to hazards not being removed, for example spills of water and weights that are in the path of people exercising.
Free Legal Justice has dealt with countless personal injury claims before. Our team is well equipped and will advise you on the next steps to be taken to reach a successful Gym injury claim. Our team has many years of experience in helping clients who have been involved in gym accidents, and we could help you access the rehabilitation and financial compensation you need to make the best recovery you can from your injuries.
New Gym Users Are At Risk Of Gym Injuries
For new gym users, the range of equipment available in a gym can seem scary. Many gym machines are large, striking, and can appear very complex to use. Even where people have been going to the gym for a long time, new exercises and overcrowding, excessive weights and general gym conditions can lead to accidents.
One of the ways that a gym can reduce the risk of gym injury from occurring is through enforcing an orientation tour on the new members.
The orientation tour will include an introduction to gym equipment such as:
- Treadmills
- Exercise Bikes
- Rowing Machines
- Swimming pools
- Boxing rings
- Stairmasters
- Weights (weight plates, kettlebells, and bars)
- Weight machines
- Chin-up bars
- Ropes
The orientation process at gyms teaches members how to use the equipment in the gym properly and safely. Unfortunately, accidents happen regardless of the special training that is provided.
This can include (but is not limited to):
- Incorrect use of weights resulting in injury.
- Incorrect instructions being conveyed to gym users or participants, or misunderstood instructions being fed between staff and gym users, regarding how to use gym equipment and how to do exercises. This also includes where users attend gym classes and an instructor pushes users too hard causing injury, or does not allow enough time for participants to warm up, it can cause injury.
- Faulty or badly maintained gym equipment.
- Slipping and tripping accidents can easily happen near gym swimming pools and in changing rooms at the gym, because of various dangers posed by wet floors and pool apparatus. Where equipment has been left lying around in various places at the gym, or there are various uneven surfaces in and around the gym, similar accidents can happen. In some cases, infections and illnesses may also be contracted from swimming pools, saunas and steam rooms that are not cleaned and maintained well.
- Falling or collapsing of exercise equipment as someone is using the piece of equipment.
- Objects that fall onto gym users and injure them upon impact.
Gym equipment and objects are often meant to be, by their very design, heavy, bulky, or able to move quickly. This means that if an accident happens involving the gym equipment, it can result in very serious injury.
What Do I Need To Prove In A Gym Injury Claim?
The first important point that we will check is the date of the injury or gym accident. In the UK, a personal injury compensation claim needs to be instituted within three years of the date of the accident, or within three years of the diagnosis of the injury.
The second important point is that someone else needs to be responsible for your injury or illness. To be able to claim compensation for personal injury caused in a gym accident, we have to be able to prove that someone else is to blame for the harm caused to you. Once we have made sure this is the case, and we have a clear idea of who is responsible for the injuries you have suffered while at the gym, one of our highly skilled personal injury lawyers will help you to claim the maximum amount of compensation possible from them by using a No Win No Fee arrangement. If your claim is successful, you will receive a cheque for your compensation and get the justice you deserve.
You Have Nothing To Lose If You Make Gym Injury Claims
You have nothing to lose- the first consultation with Free Legal Justice costs absolutely nothing and places no obligations on you to continue with a No Win No Fee Gym injury claim thereafter. We know that being injured in any type of accident is scary, and we want to lend a helping hand to guide you through the compensation claim process. To get in touch with us, simply fill out our short online form, or call Free Legal Justice today to speak to one of our friendly team members about your compensation claim. No matter what type of accident you were involved in or how the injuries were caused, we want to help you get the compensation that you deserve.
Who is Responsible For Gym Injury Claims?
The owner or occupier of the premises (i.e. the gym management) is responsible for taking care of gym users and ensuring their safety. The management of the gym has a legal duty imposed by the Occupiers Liability Act 1957, making it their duty to ensure a reasonably safe environment for users or visitors of the gym. The important individuals relevant to your gym injury claim include:
The Gym Management
The responsibility for your gym injury will lie with the gym’s management team, who are responsible for the well-being, safety and security of all gym users and visitors.
The Gym Instructors
Gym employees are expected to instruct visitors of the gym appropriately, with regards to how certain gym equipment works and how the equipment should be used. To work as a gym instructor, you should undergo specific training and be sufficiently qualified. This is a position for which they must be suitably qualified and receive the right training to be able to do your job properly. As a result of a principle known as vicarious liability, the gym management body will be ultimately responsible for the actions of all the gym staff and trainers, and the gym management will be held liable if a gym injury happens as a result of the actions or failure to act of the gym staff. In summary, if the gym management or any staff member acted negligently and you suffered an injury as a result, you may be entitled to make a gym injury claim.
Witnesses
If any other user or visitor, or employee, witnesses your gym injury happening, be sure to ask for their details in the event that you need to contact these persons at a later stage to support your gym injury claim. Better yet, if you can, ask them to sign a dated statement describing the accident immediately after it happens. Your solicitor may ask you for details from witnesses should you proceed with a gym injury claim;
What Should I Do After I Have Been In A Gym Accident?
Gyms need to have emergency procedures in place for when a gym accident occurs and some is injured. There should be a trained first aider on site at all times in a gym, but sometimes injures are serious and emergency services will be called to the accident scene.
It is advisable to seek emergency treatment if you have:
- Body pain that comes on suddenly, is remarkably severe, or is accompanied by pressure, fullness or squeezing in your chest (this may signal a heart attack); or
- An obvious deformity or protruding bone, especially if you have bleeding or other injuries
You should see your doctor as soon as possible if you have:
- A sudden injury to any part of your body during the fall, particularly if you hear a snap or cracking sound
- Severe pain and swelling on any part of your body following the accident
- Severe bruising to any part of your body following the accident
- Trouble moving your body normally, or moving your limbs in the usual way
After you have received the necessary medical care for your injuries, it is crucial to report the gym accident to the manager of the gym. There will be an accident report book, which you should be sure to write down what happened as soon as you can. If you are unable to do so immediately, ensure that you email an outline of what happened, when and why so that you have a formal record of the accident, which will be necessary should you wish to institute a gym injury claim at a later stage.
Evidence Is Key When Making Gym Injury Claims
Collect any evidence you can about the accident and your gym injury – photos of the accident and your injuries, videos or CCTV footage of what happened, and witness statements could all be useful going forward. Keep detailed records of all your additional expenses and of any medical treatments you need, as this can be used in the gym injury claim.
As soon as you are able to, we suggest that you get in touch with a legal professional from Free Legal Justice, for a free, no obligations discussion on how to make your gym injury claim. Contact Free Legal Justice at any time of day, on any day of the week, by filling out the short online form and waiting for us to call you back for free, or by calling one of our friendly injury claims handlers on 0800 567 7074.
How Much Will It Cost Me To Make A Gym Injury Claim?
Free Legal Justice is here to help. We have good news- there are different funding options available help you to make your gym injury claim, without the concern of being left out of pocket. Free Legal Justice aims to help every person that has been wrongfully injured at gym, to claim lawful compensation and get justice for their injuries- without the financial stress of legal fees. Our solicitors work with conditional fee arrangements known as “No Win No Fee” agreements. After an initial consultation and discussion to assess your gym injury claim, the Free Legal Justice claims team will be happy to offer you a No Win No Fee agreement should we decide to take on your case.
How Does A No Win No Fee Agreement Work?
A No Win No Fee agreement lets you continue with your compensation claim on the condition that if the claim is not a success, you won’t owe our solicitors any money. Put simply, it is a way for you to take legal steps necessary to claim compensation for your injuries, without any financial danger weighing over you. In short, your dedicated solicitor will only get paid if the claim is successful and you receive your compensation pay-out. Our highly skilled solicitors are happy to offer No Win No Fee agreements to clients seeking rightful compensation for personal injuries, because they are extremely confident in their legal abilities and in success rates.
A No Win No Fee agreement is a stress-free, financially-savvy way to start your gym injury claim. Once you have given a member of the Free Legal Justice team the details of your compensation claim, as well as the go-ahead to continue with your gym injury claim on a No Win No Fee basis, your work is basically done. You can then sit back, relax, and let Free Legal Justice do all the hard work for you!
What Will My Solicitor Receive If My Gym Injury Claim Is Successful?
The good news is that with a No Win No Fee agreement you will never pay Free Legal Justice any legal fees in advance. A No Win No Fee agreement means that the solicitors working on your case will only get paid if they help you to win your case.
Our solicitors work on an average success fee of 25% of the total compensation received in successful claims. If Free Legal Justice helps you to win your compensation claim, the No Win No Fee team will receive the success fee as payment for the legal services that we have provided. Your designated solicitor will make sure to discuss the success fee with you upfront, before you decide to make your No Win No Fee claim, and this will be confirmed in writing between the parties
What Happens If My Gym Injury Claim Is Unsuccessful?
Free Legal Justice carries the risk of the No Win No Fee claim being unsuccessful. If your compensation claim is not fruitful, you won’t owe us anything. To ensure that you are fully protected and have peace of mind over your financial risks, your solicitor will help you to secure ‘After the Event’ insurance. This insurance covers you in the event that you are unsuccessful with your compensation claim, and in case the court rules that you need to pay a part of your opponent’s legal costs during the case.
What Will I Receive For My Gym Injury Claim?
In any type of personal injury claim, the amount of compensation that will be awarded will vary from one case to the next, and will depend completely on factors such as the severity of the injuries, the length of time needed to recover from injuries, the impact on the specific individual’s life, and any complicating factors surrounding the injuries. Free Legal Justice has resolved various kinds of accident claims over the years. We know what compensation to expect for different categories of injuries and accidents. Your appointed solicitor will be able to give you a broadly estimated value of your gym injury claim once they have carefully been through the details of your case as well as medical reports of your injuries. For a broad guideline on personal injury compensation amounts, we have compiled the below table showing possible compensation sums for different levels of injury. Note that these amounts are not to be seen as fixed compensation amounts, and are merely for the purpose of providing a broad outline to compensation claims.
| Compensation Amounts For Gym Injury Claims | ||
| Severity of Injury | Details of Injury | Examples of Average Compensation Awarded |
| Head Injuries | ||
| Very severe | Victims are unresponsive as a result of severe brain damage and may be in a vegetative state | Between £240,000 – £345,000 |
| Moderately serious | Severe disability due to brain damage, loss of feeling in limbs, personality change and/or a mental disability | Between £180,000 – £240,000 |
| Moderate | Memory impacted; reduced ability to work; can include change in personality and increased risk of epilepsy | Between £36,000 – £185,000 |
| Mild injuries | Minimal or no brain damage but might still have long term effects | Between £13,000 – £36,000 |
| Facial Injuries | ||
| Very severe | Facial disfigurement; severe scarring or burns | Between £25,400 – £83,000 |
| Moderate to severe | Simple fractures to multiple fractures and breaks in the facial area | Between £7,500 – £41,000 |
| Mild | Less severe scarring to minor scars | Between £1,400 – £11,700 |
| Eye Injuries | ||
| The most severe | Completely blind and deaf | Around £340,000 |
| Extremely severe | Partial to substantial loss of sight in one or both eyes | Between £45,000 – £230,000 |
| Moderately severe | Restricted vision or loss of sight in one eye | Between £7,700 – £46,000 |
| Mild | Temporary loss of vision due to smoke, liquids or other substances; Struck/hit in the eye | Between £1,800 -£7,500 |
| Temporary | Full recovery takes a few weeks | Between £1,800 – £3,300 |
| Nose Injuries | ||
| Severe | Severe/multiple fractures to the nose resulting in permanent damage | Between £9,000 -£19,500 |
| Severely Moderate | Severe injuries capable of recovery after surgery | Between £3,370 – £4,350 |
| Moderate | Injuries not requiring surgery | Between £2,000 – £26,990 |
| Mild | Simple non-displaced fractures with full recovery | Between £1400 – £2160 |
| Ear Injuries | ||
| Extremely severe | Complete loss of hearing | Between £77,000 – £93,000 |
| Moderately severe | Complete hearing loss in one of the ears | Between £26,000 – £38,000 |
| Mild | Hearing loss in one or both ears; tinnitus | Up to £38,800 |
| Shoulder Injuries | ||
| Severe | Paralysis, limb numbness, restriction in movement because of the injury in the neck and shoulder | Between £10,500 – £42,000 |
| Moderate | Semi-permanent damage; damage that restricts movement in arm and elbow | Between £6,700 – £10,800 |
| Mild | Damage to soft tissue that should recover within the year or slightly longer | Up to £6,700 |
| Back Injuries | ||
| Severe | Severe injury to the upper or lower back; paralysis or any relating issues to organs in the lower parts of the body | Between £33,000 – £137,000 |
| Moderate. | Covering a wide range of back injuries such as compression of the lumbar vertebrae, ligament or soft tissue damage, any constant pain and/or any discomfort | Between £10,500 – £33,000 |
| Mild | Strains and sprains, soft tissue injuries, a slipped disc, muscle pain | Up to £10,670 |
| Arm Injuries | ||
| Extremely severe | Amputation of both arms, the amputation of a single arm, or partial amputation of one or both arms | Between £82,000 – £255,900 |
| Severe | For major restriction and disability present in one or both the arms | Between £33,400 – £111,600 |
| Less severe | Restriction in movement and/or disability in the arms with substantial recovery | Between £16,000 – £33,400 |
| Simple | Between £5,200 – £15,000 | |
| Hand Injuries | ||
| Extremely severe | Amputation of one or both hands; loss of use of hands | Between £120,000 – £171,900 |
| Very severe | Total or effective loss of one hand from crushing and then amputation; partial amputation | Between £52,800 – £77,400 |
| Moderately severe | Finger amputations, crush injuries to the hand, penetrating wounds, deep lacerations | Between £24,700 – £52,800 |
| Less severe | Crushing injuries leaving some impaired function | Between £12,340 -£24,700 |
| Leg Injuries | ||
| Extremely severe | Amputation of one or both legs (full or partial amputation) | Between £83,500 – £240,500 |
| Moderately severe | Injuries to the leg which has caused lifelong restriction in movement and disability | Between £23,600 – £82,100 |
| Less severe | From simple leg fractures, breaks or soft tissue damage which has affected the muscle to leg fractures with an incomplete recovery | Up to £23,600 |
| Knee Injuries | ||
| Severe | Disability because of a knee injury, major damage to muscles, muscle wastage and soft tissue damage. Disability because of a knee injury, major damage to muscles, muscle wastage and soft tissue damage | Between £22,300 – £82,000 |
| Moderate | Minor disability because of the knee injury, damage to the muscle, cartilage, soft tissue, that causes pain and suffering | Up to £22,300 |
| Ankle Injuries | ||
| Extremely severe | The most severe ankle injuries that may cause deformity, degeneration of joints, and potentially amputation | Between £42,500 – £59,400 |
| Moderately severe | Fractures, extensive treatment, disability because of ankle injury | Between £11,700 – £42,700 |
| Mild | Ankle fractures, ankle sprains | Up to £11,730 |
| Foot Injuries | ||
| Extremely severe | Amputation of one or both feet | Between £71,600 – £171,900 |
| Moderately severe | Severe injury to one or both feet that causes restriction, fractures or disability | Between £11,700 – £59,700 |
| Mild | Covering injury to a foot with high chance of recovery | Up to £11,700 |
Special Damages For Gym Accident Claims
Special damages forming part of your Gym injury claim include compensation for any additional expenses that you have had to incur as a result of the accident. This is a rather broad category of damages, and can range from loss of past and future income, to costs of counselling and therapy sessions, to traveling expenses, supplementary childcare expenses, as well as nursing and household adaptations that you have made to help you live with your injuries. Your solicitor will explain to you which amounts will contribute to your special damages claim.
General and Special Damages In Personal Injury Claims
It is important to know that special damages can only be claimed if you are able to present some sort of evidence of the expenses. You will need to show that you have already incurred these expenses, or will in future incur these expenses, for example by presenting receipts, reports, payslips and other documentation relevant to the damages. The Free Legal Justice team is always available to answer any questions you might have about the calculation of your general and special damages claim.
If would like to chat about the gym injury claims process, please get in touch with Free Legal Justice now by filling out the online form or by calling us on 0800 567 7074. If you would like to discuss in person, ask a member of our team about arranging a home visit, so that you can discuss your gym injury claim freely from the comfort of your own home.
How Can Free Legal Justice Help with gym injury claims?
Free Legal Justice only works with No Win No Fee claims. Our skilled personal injury solicitors have broad knowledge and experience in all kinds of personal injury claims, and they know exactly how to help our clients receive the maximum compensation for gym injury compensation claims. The Free Legal Justice team will protect your privacy and safety, and ensure that your gym injury claim is handled diligently, efficiently and discreetly. We aim to make the entire gym injury claim process as easy and stress free as possible for you. You can rest easy knowing that your expert solicitor is working hard to get you the maximum compensation you deserve for your gym injury.
Get in touch with Free Legal Justice today by filling out the online form, or by calling us on 0800 567 7074 or 0121 565 4317. One of our friendly personal injury solicitors will be happy to conduct a home visit, to discuss your claim from the comfort of your own home.
Useful Links
Gym Health and Safety
This link gives free advice for health and safety in the UK for gyms
How To Stay Safe In The Gym
This link gives free information on how to stay safe in the gym
Gym Safety Guidelines
This link gives advice on gym safety and how to stay safe
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