Gym and Fitness Center Injury Lawyers in Austin
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The gym is where you go to build muscle and strengthen your body. If you are not careful, however, it can also be the site of serious and debilitating injuries. While one might expect sprains and strains to be the most serious injuries someone could suffer while running on the treadmill or lifting weights, you may in fact suffer broken bones, internal bleeding, spine and neck injuries, burns, hip injuries, and even traumatic brain injuries as a result of your trip to the gym.
Gyms and fitness centers owe their patrons certain legal duties and obligations, and violating these obligations and duties can lead to serious injuries for which the gym or fitness center may be held liable.
Types of Injuries at a Gym or Fitness Center–and Who is Responsible for Them
Aside from injuries to legs, arms, and backs that can come from attempting to exercise beyond one’s capabilities, there are more serious injuries that can also result at the gym or fitness center. These include:
- Crushing injuries, especially of hands and fingers that become caught between the moving weights or parts of an exercise machine. Depending on the severity of the crushing injury, this may necessitate an amputation;
- Slips and falls if walkways and locker rooms are not cleaned on a regular basis. If the gym or fitness center is equipped with shower facilities, the risk of a slip and fall occurring in that area of the building is amplified even further. A slip and fall can result in serious, debilitating injuries to the hip, legs, spine, neck, and head or brain;
- Burns, either from malfunctioning electrical equipment or from a tanning booth, sauna, hot tub, or steam room. Superficial burns, such as may result from tanning too long or touching a hot surface, may be painful but will usually heal on their own. Deeper, more serious burns may be less painful at first but can cause permanent disfigurement or damage to underlying tissues and nerves; or
- Broken bones and damage to internal organs if exercise equipment is not used properly.
Just because an accident happens on the premises of a gym or fitness center does not automatically mean the gym’s owner is responsible for your medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses and injuries. In general, a gym or fitness center owner may be held responsible for injuries that take place on the premises if the gym’s owner did not take reasonable measures to safeguard the health and well-being of the gym’s patrons. Examples of conduct which may result in liability include:
- Failing to make reasonable and regular inspections of the floor, to clean up spills or obstructions, or to warn patrons of such obstructions and spills;
- Failing to keep machines like treadmills or exercise machines in good working order;
- Failing to ensure machines and other exercise equipment had instructions clearly posted describing how the machine or equipment is to be used; or
- Failing to adequately staff the gym or fitness center with enough properly trained staff who are able to respond in a timely manner to any emergencies, iincluding medical emergencies.
Experienced Austin Gym and Fitness Center Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been injured while at the gym, the gym and fitness center attorneys at Zinda Law Group can help explain the potential rights you may have. Our firm has years of experience representing fitness center injury victims, and we are committed to helping our clients recover much-needed compensation for their losses, including medical expenses, lost wages, mental pain and anguish, and more. Call Zinda Law Group at 800-863-5312 for a free consultation.
