If you’re looking to become healthier and exercise more often, you may purchase a gym membership at a local fitness center. While gyms are a great resource to help you stay fit, there is a potential risk of injury when the appropriate parties fail to maintain a safe environment for their members. If you were hurt in a gym, you may be able to hold the owner or reckless employees liable. If you or a loved one suffered a gym injury, contact a skilled New York City & Westchester County Personal Injury Attorney who can help you fight to obtain the just compensation you deserve.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF GYM INJURIES IN NEW YORK?
Property owners must regularly inspect and maintain their premises to ensure a safe environment for patrons, preventing accidents and injuries. Poor maintenance of a gym facility, including parking lots and sidewalks, can cause serious injuries. Premises liability laws hold gyms responsible for addressing and remedying potentially hazardous conditions and maintaining clean facilities. Essentially, if a property owner fails to keep reasonably safe premises, they can be held liable for any injuries that occur as a direct result of their negligence. Therefore, if you are injured in a slip-and-fall accident from wet surfaces left unattended or contract an infection due to unhygienic conditions, you may be able to hold the gym accountable for your injuries.
The appropriate parties must ensure that every piece of equipment in a gym is safe for use and functions as intended to keep members out of harm’s way. To do this, they must regularly check all equipment for broken parts. Sometimes, the gym may not have known they purchased defective machinery. If this is the case and you become injured due to a defective machine, the equipment manufacturer may be held liable.
WHEN CAN I PURSUE LEGAL ACTION FOR A GYM INJURY?
If you were injured in a New York fitness facility, you may be able to file a claim to recover monetary compensation for your economic and non-economic damages. However, you must be able to fulfill the burden of proof, meaning you must demonstrate to the court that the gym’s negligence or wrongdoing caused the injury. If the gym owner or employee fails to take reasonable precautions to ensure your safety, they can be held liable for any injuries sustained on their premises.
That said, taking the proper steps after a gym accident is imperative to safeguard your legal rights. When the injury occurs, report the accident to a gym employee or manager and file an incident report. If it’s a severe injury, seek immediate medical attention and call 911. Do not delay or refuse medical attention, as it could give the insurance company a reason to deny your claim. Take pictures and videos of the accident scene, particularly the hazardous condition that caused your injury. It’s also beneficial to gather contact information from anyone who witnessed you get injured and can verify your claim. Finally, you should enlist the help of an experienced attorney who can help you investigate the circumstances of the accident and gather pertinent evidence to prove your claim.