Personal trainer liability and negligence

Any person who employs a personal trainer to help improve their health and fitness does so with the expectation that the personal trainer will have specialist knowledge to help them achieve their objectives and avoid the pitfalls of personal injury.

However, injury does sometimes occur in personal training sessions – for the most part in instances that are unavoidable or that have arisen as a natural but unforeseeable consequence of strenuous exercise.

Of course, in instances such as those described above, injured clients are unlikely to be able to claim compensation for the damage they have sustained – this though does not mean that it is never possible to make a claim against a personal trainer.

Personal trainer liability insurance

Although there is as yet no legal obligation for personal trainers to possess liability insurance, it is advised that they do.

This is because any negligently planned or supervised personal training sessions have the potential to result in accident and injury and may, in the absence of liability insurance, bring about the financial ruin of a personal training business.

A number of different liability insurance options exist for personal trainers, including professional liability cover, civil liability cover and professional indemnity cover – the type chosen will very much depend on the nature of the business.

An example

It is possible to make a claim against a professional trainer for a number of circumstances. For example, in 2005 a man suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon as a result of an incident caused by an unsecured safety mat.

He received around £10,000 for his injury. At the time of his pay out his personal injury solicitor commented, "This was a difficult case where liability was denied throughout by the gym.

"More and more accidents are occurring in gyms due to inadequate supervision by trainers or where incorrect or insufficient training is given to members on how to use the equipment correctly."

Speak to an expert

If you feel you may have a claim against a personal trainer, get in touch with us here at YouClaim and we will discuss the situation and give you an honest assessment. Call us on 0800 10 757 95 or click "start claim" now.