Virgin Active forced to pay compensation after gym member sustains a permanent soft-tissue injury because of faulty gym equipment
A Wallington resident, who was injured at a Virgin Active gym when his personal trainer failed to ensure the gym’s equipment was set up correctly, has secured compensation with the support of Thompsons Solicitors.
The man was taking a personal training session at the Croydon branch of Virgin Active, where he was tasked to jump over a box onto a semi-hemisphere ball, and then jump onto an aerobic step.
As he jumped onto the aerobic step, it immediately collapsed under his feet and he fell to the floor. As a result, he suffered a fracture to his left wrist and sustained a soft-tissue injury to this elbow. The man now has permanent reduced use of his left-hand.
Following the accident, he contacted personal injury specialists, Thompsons Solicitors, who investigated a claim for compensation. Thompsons found that the man’s injuries had been caused by Virgin Active’s failure to provide safe and competent staff. The gym admitted liability and compensation was secured.
The Wallington resident said: “The accident was as a complete shock and was extremely painful. My left wrist is permanently damaged, which means I can no longer do the exercises I used to enjoy. Knowing the accident could have been avoided if the equipment had been set up correctly is really frustrating especially because my injuries will affect me for the rest of my life.
“Thompsons were a fantastic support from the start of my claim, and I would like to thank them for their help in holding the gym accountable.”
Amie Jeffcott, of Thompsons Solicitors, said: “This accident goes to show how vital it is that staff are properly trained to guarantee the safety of customers.
“A global brand like Virgin Active should really know better. They have a responsibility to ensure that their employees have adequate training on the safe use of equipment.
“Regular checks before the gym equipment is in use would have highlighted the fault and the accident could have been avoided. Instead our client now suffers from a lifelong injury because of a breach in basic health and safety regulations.”
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