Minor aches and sprains are common when lifting weights. Pushing the body's muscles past the point of fatigue stimulates muscle growth. Injury risks increase at this point unless great care is taken while working out. Among the worst of all injuries would be a quadriceps tendon rupture, a tear that could complete separate the quad muscle from the kneecap. Brutal accidents are sometimes unavoidable, but irresponsibly and poorly managed gyms may very well share responsibility and liability for the injury. To cut down on injuries and resultant civil suits, gym owners need to be more mindful about what is going on inside the facility.

Accept the Responsibilities of Running a Gym

Gym owners, managers, and employees have a responsibility to make sure no one is injured while working out. Preventing horseplay and making sure the equipment is well-maintained are obvious ways to reduce injury risks. A not-so-obvious way of contributing to liability would be to allow unapproved or even illegal activities among members to occur on the premises.

Keep an Eye on Member Conduct

When a general member who is not employed by the gym conducts personal training sessions, the gym could be held liable if a client suffers a quad injury. Gyms should have a policy in place that no member is allowed to train other members on a for-profit basis without permission. This way, only experienced personal trainers are training people and doing so in a way the gym is able to make sure the activity is covered under waivers or liability policies.

A more egregious situation would be management looking the other way when anabolic steroids are sold on the premises. Anabolic steroids may contribute to tendon and muscle tears. Due to not taking steps to keep people from selling illicit substances on the premises might lead to the gym being considering a contributor to the resultant injury.

Understand Special Injury Risks

A less common but no-less-serious risk of injury comes when a person who is over the age of 50 or has a known history of knee injuries is performing squat exercises. Upon noticing someone who fits this profile is lifting a very heavy amount of weight, a gym employee should step in and suggest the person not lift massive amounts. The gym could have a policy of banning a certain threshold of weight on squats and reduce the potential risk of injury for everyone.

Avoid Lawsuits

Gyms take as many steps as possible to curtail the potential for quad or other injuries. If not, then a lawsuit may be forthcoming and turning to a skilled personal injury lawyer like Denali Law Group to handle the defense becomes the only way to avoid a financial catastrophe.