Purchasing home exercise equipment can seem like a good choice for your health – that is, if you use it. Unfortunately, there are few standards regulating the quality of this equipment and some of it, even when used as directed, can actually be hazardous to your health. Faulty exercise equipment can be a pain!
One such example is the popular chin up bar that mounts to the top of your door frame at home. While they are designed to fasten to the door frame and withstand the weight of most adults, they can easily become dislodged with even a small amount of lateral movement.
One of our clients learned this lesson in a very painful way. In an effort to obtain maximum benefit from her exercise, she combined a chin-up with a leg-lift motion. The result was a slight sway or lateral movement in her motion. Rather than achieve maximum benefit, the bar dislodged from the door frame as her feet were raised in front of her and she landed directly on her tail bone, fracturing her lower spine in the process.
Litigation against the manufacturer revealed many similar incidents, resulting in numerous complaints, injuries and lawsuits. Despite the risks, the manufacturer continues selling the product without making any effort to correct the defect. For them, even though we won a substantial recovery for our client, the profits involved were worth the risk. As is often the case, they decided it would be cheaper to pay the occasional settlement than completely retool the product and make it safe to use.
Do You Have a Similar Story?
If you are injured by faulty exercise equipment or any other product that you have purchased, it is important to save the product and contact a lawyer as soon as possible. Our lawyers often work with experts to determine how a product may be defective or how an injury happened. Contact The Lawyers of Brown & Roberto to schedule an initial consultation. We are happy to discuss your Product Liability case, advise you on how to deal with manufacturers or their insurance companies, and answer any questions that you may have. Call (865) 691-2777 or use the convenient contact form below.