Illinois Health Club Injuries
Written by Howard Ankin
Health club injuries can range from minor sprains and pulled muscles to serious slip and fall injuries. With exercise equipment and heavy lifting, health club injuries are common, so most Illinois clubs have liability waivers in their contracts to protect against potential lawsuits with a Chicago injury lawyer.
Thousands of people are hurt each year in gyms and health clubs across the country. Common health club injuries include fractures and broken bones; finger and wrist injuries; spinal cord injuries; chest trauma; treadmill injuries; and weight-related injuries. Injuries often result in medical costs, lost work time and wages, and long-term disabilities.
Can a Health Club Member Sue for Injuries?
Most major health clubs require members to sign some type of liability waiver before joining. To determine if personal injuries sustained at the gym or club constitute a lawsuit through a Chicago personal injury attorney, the contract liability waiver must be examined. Common health club liability waivers include:
- Total Waiver of Liability – This means that the health club is free of all liability for any injury that occurs on the premises. If the waiver is overly broad, it may be held unenforceable in a court of law.
- Negligence Waiver – This prevents members from suing for injuries caused by negligence of the health club or it’s employees. Negligence waivers are usually enforceable in Illinois courts.
- Intentional Injury Waiver – Intentional injury waivers are rarely upheld in court. Reckless conduct that results in personal injury to another person is typically always enforced. If a club owner knew that a weight machine was broken and could cause harm, but did not fix it or warn club members, this can be considered reckless behavior that warrants a lawsuit with a Chicago injury lawyer.
Liability Claims
Health clubs owe their members a reasonable duty of care to make sure the premises is free from dangerous property conditions and defective equipment. Health club owners are required to regularly inspect for problems and warn members of potential harm from those conditions. Failure to provide adequate warnings can hold health club owners liable for personal injuries.
Many Illinois health club injuries result in premises liability and negligence claims. In addition to a variety of injuries, skin infections are common in health clubs. They are typically caused by unsanitary conditions from unclean equipment and in moist areas like locker rooms, steam rooms and saunas, showers, and swimming pool facilities.
