Many people make time in their busy schedules to exercise at a gym for their health. While this can be beneficial for a person’s mental and physical health, a gym can be dangerous if the owner fails to take safety precautions. If you were hurt in a gym accident, you need to understand how the gym’s negligence may have caused your injuries and their responsibility to compensate you for your injuries—even if you signed a waiver form when you joined the gym.
Leading Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents at Gyms
The most common way that members of a gym suffer injuries is in a slip and fall accident. Falls do not only happen on the exercise machines. They can also happen in the lobby, locker room, and other common areas. Top reasons that victims suffer injuries include:
- Waxed floors that are too slippery
- Lack of matting and handrails in the locker room
- Sweat and liquids on floors and exercise equipment
- Electrical cords not properly secured
- Worn carpeting and cracked or broken flooring
- Snow, ice, and water on sidewalks and at gym entrances
- Debris and personal property that create tripping hazards
- Exercise equipment that is not maintained or is defective
How a Liability Waiver Can Affect Your Claim for Compensation
Most gyms require members to sign a liability waiver form that absolves the gym of liability for injuries that happen at their premises. If you signed one, the gym and their insurance company may try to use it to deny their liability to compensate you if you file a claim.
However, signing this document does not necessarily mean that you waived your right to sue the gym owner. You may be able to revoke it based on one of these grounds:
- Vague language. The waiver of legal rights is often a hard-to-understand paragraph buried in the form that is also explaining many rules of the gym that must be followed. If the waiver uses confusing or imprecise words or is open to interpretation, it may not be valid.
- Gross negligence. The gym may be able to use a waiver to limit their liability if you are hurt while exercising too hard. However, they cannot use the waiver form to avoid responsibility if their own gross negligence, such as failing to mop up spills or to regularly maintain their equipment, causes your slip and fall accident.
If you or a family member were injured in a fall or other accident at a gym, you need an experienced premises liability lawyer to review the liability waiver and fight for the compensation you deserve. To learn how we will aggressively pursue your legal rights, call our Norfolk office to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today.
|
Related Links: |