Being injured on exercise equipment is quite common because Fitness and sports centers are very popular in Orange County and Los Angeles County. According to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), defective sports and exercise equipment cause injury to approximately 8,700 adults and 6,500 children each year. Manufacturing defects may cause fitness machines such as abdominal exercisers, treadmills, stationary bikes, rowing machines, glider machines, elliptical trainers, weightlifting machines, ski machine, inflatable fitness balls, workout benches, stair machines and other work out devices to malfunction without warning. Injury may be caused to a fitness equipment user due to gliding off of resistance pistons, equipment collapse due to faulty welding, explosion of fitness balls, overheating of equipment or shearing off of heavy weights. Other factors that result in a patron's injury are poorly written assembly instructions, improper safety warnings, removal of safety shut-offs, high resistance levels on machines, poor guidance by gym instructors and untrained gym staff.
Under federal law, fitness equipment manufacturers have a duty to immediately report any knowledge of defective products to the CPSC. In case of defectively designed equipment, manufacturers must conduct a national recall of all products sold by them to avoid any further injuries to users. Owners of fitness centers have a duty to comply with all legal safety standards and must employ personnel who are trained to detect and deter situations that may result in exercise equipment injuries. Exercise equipment injuries include falls, head injuries, amputation of fingers and toes, fractures, facial lacerations, bruises, burns, strains, sprains, back injury, muscle pull, heart problems through over exertion, and death.
If you have been seriously injured on your home fitness equipment or at a gym in Orange County or Los Angeles County, you should call the law office of personal injury attorney, Scott D. Hughes, immediately to get the compensation you deserve. It is important that you preserve the original packaging, purchase receipts, medical records, pictures of the defective product and picture of your injury. You may have to file a lawsuit alleging products liability and negligence against the manufacturer, seller, distributor and supplier of the machine and/or the gym owner and instructor claiming medical costs, rehabilitation expenses, lost wages, and compensation for any trauma and stress. Product liability covers injuries caused due to internal defects, faulty manufacturing, faulty design, and harmful packaging. The trial may require expert evidence from fitness safety experts, medical practitioners and product specialists. Call the Law Office of Scott D. Hughes today for a free consultation, to help understand your legal options.
Scott Hughes is a personal injury attorney in Orange County, Los Angeles County and surrounding areas.