Serious injury during personal training session

[Anonymous]

DW stumbled during step-up exercise with a personal trainer at a local gym, and shattered her left wrist (3 hour surgery, can't drive for weeks, follow-up surgery in future, will have to walk our son down the aisle at his wedding with a messed-up hand). The trainer apparently watched her fall and didn't try to help. What, if anything, do you think the gym should do for us?

[Anonymous]

Honestly, nothing. Unless you can prove negligence, but I bet there is some stipulation in the paperwork that says the gym isn’t liable for injuries. Probably the best you can do is write review on google or yelp.

[Anonymous]

I am pretty sure you can’t hold anyone liable for this. It sounds like this was a split second fall, and I seriously doubt the trainer just stood by with his hands in his pockets whistling. It sounds like a very serious injury from a minor fall. I’m very sorry for your wife, it sounds like you both are very upset, but I suggest you work on realizing things like this just happen, and nothing will be gained by going after the gym or holding on to bad feelings.

Best wishes on a speedy recovery and your son’s wedding!

[Anonymous]

That sucks but it definitely sounds like a) the risk you take and b) kind of a freak thing seeing as she fell from what, 18 inches up?

I might say that they should comp the session but you sound pretty upset (understandably) and pretty unreasonable ("the trainer watched her fall," the wedding (which sucks, but I mean, come on)) so if I were them I would just end your contract and sever any non-mediated communication.

[Anonymous]

What do you think the trainer should have done? There’s no guarantee anyone would have been able to break her fall in time and you admit that SHE stumbled. Please have your wife take some responsibility here instead of trying to blame someone else for her mistake. Disgusting.

[Anonymous]

It's a bummer but gyms usually require you to sign a waiver form for exactly these kind of stuff. It suck, there's really little recourse here unless you prove professional negligence. Was there any camera footage around (security camera) that can show the trainer didn't try to help?

[Anonymous]

Honestly, the trainer isn't a medical professional so they should not have tried to help - that's a good thing.

Your wife should consult her doctor about her bone's shattering from such a minor fall. Unfortunately for women, bone density becomes an issue as we get older.

[Anonymous]

Helping someone during a fall is not advised, actually. It causes more damage in most cases and can also the person assisting to be injured as well.

It's just natural instinct to lunge to help when we see someone falling.

I don't think the gym is liable at all. It stinks, but that's the risk you take when exercising. Now, if you'd said it was due to faulty equipment, sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, the trainer isn't a medical professional so they should not have tried to help - that's a good thing.

Your wife should consult her doctor about her bone's shattering from such a minor fall. Unfortunately for women, bone density becomes an issue as we get older.

I think OP tried to mean the trainer didn't try to prevent her fall rather than helping her get up.

[Anonymous]

It's not the trainer's fault.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like an accident, OP. Your wife tripped and fell, it's not as if the trainer dropped a weight on her or something... the trainer may not have reacted fast enough to prevent the fall, which doesn't place any blame on him/her. I'm sorry your wife is injured but the gym doesn't need to do anything.

[Anonymous]

Sorry about your wife, but I find your reaction so strange. She fell and it was an accident - has nothing to do with the gym or the trainer. Man everyone really is sue happy around here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous[b wrote:]What do you think the trainer should have done? There’s no guarantee anyone would have been able to break her fall in time and you admit that SHE stumbled. [/b]Please have your wife take some responsibility here instead of trying to blame someone else for her mistake. Disgusting.

I hope your wife is better soon but this was not the trainer's fault at all. You can't sue someone because of slow reflexes.

[Anonymous]

OP here. When she stumbled she looked for something to grab onto, and there was nothing there. I question the safety of the setup, with just a step, and nothing to grab and no effective spotter.

[Anonymous]

But it was a step up exercise ... so I don’t think it’s common that there would be a bar or something to hold onto. If you Google “step up exercise gym” you’ll see that no set ups have something to grab onto. Sorry this happened to your wife, it sounds really painful. But these things happen.