Product liability unlikely to be an issue for home Olympians pushing themselves to the limit

Product liability cases usually involve issues relating to defective or inherently dangerous products. Injury resulting from misuse of a product is, unless the manufacturer has not warned of the dangers of misuse, very unlikely to result in the payout of personal injury compensation.

No product liability solicitor is likely to take on a case involving, say, an adult who has used a children's bicycle and suffered injury as a result of it failing to take his or her weight - it is simply not fit for the purpose.

The same goes for gym equipment. If a person suffers injury trying to lift a free-weight that is too heavy for his or her strength, no reasonable argument for compensation can be mounted.

For, although the law is there to protect people who suffer injury through no fault of their own, we must all know our own personal limitations.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics prove a case in point. Product information service the Gadget Helpline reported that during these Olympics they received a high number of calls from people wanting to know how to set equipment, such as rowing machines, exercise bikes and treadmills, to match the performance of Olympic athletes.

It seems many were inspired by the feats of the athletic elite and wanted to sit in front of their televisions, matching them stroke-for-stroke, stride-for-stride and revolution-for-revolution. Whether it was Bradley Wiggins, Paula Radcliffe, Christine Ohuruogu or coxless fours gold medal winners Tom James, Steve Williams, Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs-Hodge, some overly-inspired viewers will push themselves to the limit.

A spokesperson from the helpline comments, "One woman said she really wanted to set her rowing machine so she could do the same number of strokes per minute as the Olympic athletes.

"She was obviously sitting in front of her TV and entering into the spirit of it all.
"Another caller wanted to adjust his exercise bike so he was cycling at the same number of miles per hour as the Olympians.

"With rowing and cycling machines, if you can't keep up you'll just go slowly. But with jogging machines, if you set them to the pinnacle of what it's capable of doing and you can't keep up, it could be dangerous."

While one of the UK's leading sports scientists warns, "There has to be a degree of realism and common sense about people's ambitions.

"They have to be aware that the athletes they see on TV have a genetic endowment that means they can perform at the highest level and they have spent years dedicating themselves to improving their personal performance."

No win, no fee experts in product liability litigation
The law as at it relates to injury suffered as a result of defective or faulty products can be complex. If you are considering making a claim you will need expert, experienced and accredited legal representation.

All our solicitors who specialise in this area of the law are governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, something we consider to be an assurance of professionalism.

We are proud to provide a client-first service. Win or lose, we never charge a single penny in legal costs or fees, protect you from those incurred by the opposing side and, with our 100 percent compensation promise, deliver all awards without any cuts. In effect, this means that, to the client, we offer more than a no win, no fee service.

To be connected with the product liability solicitor best suited to your case or to receive some obligation-free legal advice, simply call us today on 0800 10 757 95.

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