While fitness facilities or gyms can be an excellent asset in your quest for staying fit and maintaining good health, they also come with certain risks. Although you may be unable to pursue legal action if you were injured due to your carelessness or overzealousness, you may have grounds to hold your gym accountable if factors beyond your control caused your injury. If you or a loved one has suffered a gym injury, you should enlist the help of our experienced Essex County Personal Injury Attorneys, who can help navigate your legal options.
Can you sue a gym for an injury sustained from working out?
If you have a gym membership, chances are you have been to a facility during peak hours where you witnessed an overly eager member misusing the exercise machinery or pushing themselves too hard. Unfortunately, even minor mistakes during a workout can lead to catastrophic injuries. Such injuries can negatively impact your fitness journey and result in substantial damages that can significantly disrupt your life. As such, exercising caution while working out is vital to avoid accidents and injuries.
Taking legal action against a gym may prove challenging for some injuries as they tend to address foreseeable risks in their membership agreement. Upon enrolling in a gym, members must sign a liability waiver, which outlines the terms of their membership and explicitly states that the gym cannot be held liable for specific injuries. This is known as the “assumption of risk.” This legal doctrine stipulates that gym members voluntarily expose themselves to a known danger. Therefore, if you were injured while engaging in physical activity, you would likely not have a valid claim as you chose to participate in it, knowing there is an inherent risk of injury associated with gym activities.
When would a gym be liable for an injury in New Jersey?
When you sign a gym membership agreement, you may be under the impression that you have given up all your rights to take legal action for a gym injury. However, that is not necessarily true. While individuals may understand the inherent risks associated with physical activity at a fitness facility, property owners are still legally obligated to provide a reasonably safe environment for their members, guests, and employees. This includes repairing hazardous conditions and warning individuals of potential dangers. If a gym fails to meet these obligations and a person is injured due to this negligence, the gym can be liable for damages.
As you can see, there are instances in which a gym can be held liable for an injury. If you’ve suffered a gym injury due to another party’s negligence, it’s in your best interest to contact a skilled Essex County personal injury attorney who can help you fight for the justice you deserve. At The Law Offices of Christopher T. Howell, Esq., we are prepared to help you fight to obtain the best possible compensation award for your damages.
