These health scares have caused some people to question what responsibility gyms bear.
If you’re like most people, you’re always looking for ways to shed a few pounds and fit into those skinny jeans you keep in the back of your closet. Everyone wants to look their best and feel great about their body.
Like anything else, however, moderation is generally the best bet when it comes to fitness. Unfortunately, extreme workouts can lead to injury. In some cases, excessive fitness regimens like CrossFit, Spinning, and P90X can cause life-threatening injuries and health conditions.
According to a recent CNN report, some gym buffs have experienced dangerous syndromes like rhabdomyolysis, in which the muscles swell, causing the body to retain water. If the condition gets to a certain point, the kidneys stop functioning, and the person is forced to go on dialysis. In extreme cases, it can lead to kidney failure and even death.
These health scares have caused some people to question what, if any, responsibility gyms bear when it comes to injuries.
Is Your Gym Responsible for Your Injury?
Extreme workouts like P90X and CrossFit have exploded in popularity, but experts say that one of the many red flags with these programs is that they simply aren’t for everyone. The CrossFit co-founder, Greg Glassman, told the New York Times, “It can kill you.” That’s a pretty self-explanatory statement if ever there was one.
In nearly every gym in the country, you must sign some type of liability waiver when you join. The problem is that most of the time, these waivers are poorly written and difficult to understand. And what if the gym (or one of its personal trainers) does something negligent? What if they knew a machine or a workout move had a reasonable chance of injuring someone and they did nothing to fix it or stop it from causing the injury?
In these types of situations, there is a chance the waiver is not worth the paper it is printed on. When you sign a waiver, you don’t give the gym or its employees or agents a blank check to injure or maim you. In the CNN report about rhabdomyolysis, healthy 33-year-olds were hospitalized after a single Spinning workout. In these cases, it’s likely the gym or a trainer has responsibility for causing an injury.
Attorney Rand Spear, a Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer Discusses Gym Injuries
Philadelphia personal injury attorney Rand Spear explains, “It goes without saying that you should always chat with your doctor before you take up any kind of exercise. It’s a cliché, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t smart to do it. You can’t go from hardcore couch surfing to toughing it out on the weight machines without risking an injury. On the other hand, if your gym has broken equipment, or a trainer or the gym’s policies put you at risk, you may be entitled to compensation.”
Contact a Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer Today
Rand Spear 1-877-GET-RAND.
Sources:
- https://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/26/health/rhabdomyolysis-spin-class-explainer/index.html
- http://nypost.com/2016/03/15/is-this-nycs-most-dangerous-workout/
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