Improperly Maintained Exercise Machine at Fitness Center

I’m Katelyn Holub, an attorney focusing on personal injury law in northwest Indiana.

Welcome to Personal Injury Primer, where we break down the law into simple terms, provide legal tips, and discuss personal injury law topics.

Today’s question comes from a caller concerned about an injury that happened when he was sitting at a lateral pull weight machine at a fitness center. The belt connecting the weight to the machine’s handle snapped, causing the caller to fall and seriously injure his back. The injuries resulted in back surgery.

He wanted to know his legal options.

A first liability focus would look toward an investigation of the owner of the fitness center. Did the fitness center maintain the equipment, or hire a contractor to maintain its machines?

Was the belt on the machine replaced as frequently as the manufacturer recommended? Was the belt that snapped an inferior component that was not up to manufacturer standards?

Another area of liability to investigate would be the manufacturer of the machine. Was the machine shipped with a defective belt? Did the manufacturer know that the belt was dangerous, but fail to warn of the danger?

Of course, a manufacturer if sued can be expected to argue that the machine was misused, or poorly maintained.

Lastly, it will be important to find out if the caller signed a waiver when he joined the fitness center.

I hope you found this information helpful. If you are a victim of someone’s carelessness, substandard medical care, product defect, work injury, or another personal injury, please call (219) 736-9700 with your questions. You can also learn more about us by visiting our website at DavidHolubLaw.com – while there, make sure you request a copy of our book “Fighting for Truth.”