50kg Squat Equipment Hits Face with a 'Bang'... Concussion Diagnosed, Gym Says "Member's Fault"

Gym Side: "Accident Caused by Safety Bar Not Properly Secured"
Lawyer: "Refusal to Process Compensation Insurance Is the Core Issue"

A gym member was seriously injured after being hit in the face by exercise equipment. However, the gym reportedly denies any responsibility for the incident.

On the 6th, JTBC's 'Sageon Banjang' reported that on the 14th of last month at around 8:26 PM, an accident occurred at a gym in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, where a footrest of exercise equipment fell and injured a woman in her 40s, identified as member A. At the time, A was exercising using a squat machine with a 40kg weight plate placed on it. After completing one set, she pulled the safety bar to secure the footrest and sat on the machine while using her mobile phone. At that moment, the safety bar came loose, causing the footrest to fall onto her face. The weight on the footrest, including the weight plate, was approximately 50kg.

[Image source=JTBC 'Sageon Banjang' capture]

As soon as A was hit in the face by the footrest, she immediately collapsed in pain. Although a trainer checked on her condition during this time, no follow-up measures were taken, according to A. She later received a concussion diagnosis at the hospital, but the gym reportedly denies responsibility for the accident. A claimed, "The gym said it was the member's fault because the safety bar was not pulled enough, causing the footrest support to be improperly set and slip, and they did not offer any apology."

A stated, "If the equipment were functioning properly, it would be impossible not to pull the safety bar enough or for the support to come loose." She added, "Moreover, the gym advertises that it uses top-quality genuine equipment, but when I checked with the certification company, they said they have never supplied certified equipment to local gyms." She expressed frustration, saying, "The gym maintains that they are not at fault. When I requested a refund, they said I had to pay a penalty because it was a special contract."

Attorney Park Ji-hoon, who reviewed the case, said, "The gym should be held responsible. This is a safety accident. They should have warned users in advance that the support could come loose and to be cautious."

He continued, "All responsibility should be attributed to the facility manager, and it is difficult to hold the user accountable. However, the degree of negligence can be considered. This should be handled through liability insurance, but the fact that they refuse to do so is problematic," he explained.