Whether you decide to go for a swim, play badminton, or use the gym at a leisure centre, you would expect to be safe during your visit. However, accidents in leisure centres do happen and can result in serious injuries. In this guide to making a leisure centre accident claim, we’ll explore your options if you’re injured because of the operator’s negligence. We’ll show you when a compensation claim might be possible and what amount could be paid.

Our team can help if you do wish to make a leisure centre accident claim. They’ll offer free advice about your claim during a free consultation to help you understand your options. If your claim appears to have a realistic chance of success, we’ll ask one of our personal injury solicitors to talk with you. If they take your claim on, you’ll benefit from a No Win No Fee service which means you’ll only have to pay them if you receive compensation for your injuries.

To find out more about your chances right away, call our team on 0800 6524 881 today. To learn more about the accident claims process before calling, please read on.

Am I Eligible To Make A Leisure Centre Accident Claim?

The main criteria our personal injury solicitors will want to check before taking on a leisure centre accident claim are:

1. The leisure centre’s operator (the defendant) owed you a duty of care.
2. An accident or incident occurred because of the operator’s negligence.
3. You sustained an injury or injuries as a direct result of that accident.

Importantly, the defendant in a leisure centre accident claim could be a private company or the local authority – personal injury law is the same for both.

As a customer or visitor to a leisure centre, you will automatically be owed a duty of care by the operator. Essentially, they will need to take reasonable steps to try and keep you as safe as possible while you’re on their premises. Therefore, it’s more important for you to concentrate on helping prove how your accident happened and the injuries you sustained. We’ll explain what evidence can help in leisure centre accident claims later on.

Negligence In A Leisure Centre That Could Lead To A Compensation Claim

So, as we’ve just shown, you could only claim for injuries sustained in a leisure centre if they were caused by some form of negligence. To give you some idea of what that means, we’ve added a few examples below:

• If you are injured in the gym whilst using damaged, faulty or poorly maintained gym equipment.
• Where you slip, trip and fall in a corridor because of a leaking roof where the puddle wasn’t cordoned off with warning signs.
• If you suffer chemical burns because of an over-chlorinated swimming pool.
• If you suffer injuries during an exercise class because of poor coaching.
• Where you trip and are injured in the car park because of a damaged drain cover.
• If your child is injured during an activity because of poor supervision or where the member of staff was poorly trained.

This list isn’t comprehensive but should make it easier to understand when you could be compensated for a leisure centre accident. If you believe you have a valid claim, call and ask us to review your case for free.

Common Injuries From Leisure Centre Accidents

Essentially, any injury from an accident in a leisure centre caused by negligence could lead to a compensation claim. Some of the most common claims that our personal injury solicitors deal with include:

• Broken and fractured bones.
• Soft tissue injuries affecting the tendons, ligaments and muscles.
• Head injuries including minor brain damage (concussions etc).
• Back injuries.
• Bruises and laceration cuts.

To help prove what injuries you’ve suffered (and how serious they were), you will need a medical assessment during your claim. This will be with an independent medical expert and your appointment can usually be made locally.

During your meeting, the specialist will examine your injuries and discuss them with you. They may also refer to any medical records. After they’ve completed their investigation, a report will be produced that lists your injuries and offers a prognosis.

How Much Compensation For An Accident At A Leisure Centre Could I Claim?

The amount of compensation awarded for a leisure centre accident claim is based on how much suffering you’ve endured (general damages) and any costs associated with your injuries (special damages).

No two personal injury claims are the same but, potentially, any compensation awarded could cover:

• The physical pain your injuries from the leisure centre accident caused.
• Any impact your injuries have had on your hobbies, family life and social activities (loss of amenity).
• Any mental harm your injuries or accident caused such as depression, anxiety or distress.
• Travel expenses linked to your injuries such as hospital parking fees.
• The care provided by a member of your family or a carer while you were injured.
• Private medical expenses.
• Lost earnings if your injuries meant you couldn’t work.
• Future loss of earnings if your ability to work at the same level will be reduced by your injuries.
• Changes in your home that help you to deal with any ongoing disability.

Getting the value of your leisure centre accident claim right is important. You should consider all aspects of your suffering before filing the claim as you can’t request additional payments after you’ve settled. Working with one of our solicitors could help you to be compensated fairly because they’ll use their experience to review your case in detail to try and make sure you’re compensated fully.

Leisure Centre Accident Compensation Calculator

We’ve added a compensation calculator, below, to give you some idea of how much could be paid as general damages for your injuries:

The amounts listed are based on those from the Judicial College’s guidelines. It’s important to remember that the figures listed are not guaranteed as each claim is unique. If you’d like a more personalised compensation estimate, please speak to an advisor from our team today.

Evidence To Support A Leisure Centre Accident Claim

If you claim against a leisure centre, they will more than likely pass your claim to their insurance company. They will almost certainly deny liability when your solicitor contacts them which means you’ll need to prove, with evidence, exactly how your accident occurred and who was to blame.

The types of evidence that could help include:

• Accident report forms to show where and when your accident happened. If you weren’t given a copy when you were injured, you are entitled to request a copy.
• Photographs of the accident scene if they show the cause of your injuries. Where possible, you should take this before anything is repaired, replaced or removed.
• Copies of medical records from the minor injuries unit or hospital that treated you. These, along with any x-rays, could help to prove the extent of your injuries.
• Details of anybody who saw what happened. Witness statements taken by your solicitor could help to confirm your allegations.
• Footage from CCTV cameras if your accident was captured on camera. Data protection laws mean you’re allowed to ask for a copy but remember to do so quickly as data is usually deleted fairly quickly.

If you’d like us to review your evidence during your free consultation, please have it to hand when you call.

Leisure Centre Accident Claims Time Limits

All personal injury claims in the UK have a 3-year time limit as set out by the Limitation Act 1980. For most leisure centre accidents, this will begin on the date you were injured. If your child has been injured in a leisure centre, you won’t need to worry about the time limit as you can claim on their behalf at any time before their 18^th birthday as a litigation friend.

Although 3-years may feel like a long time, it’s often better to begin your claim as early as possible. Collecting evidence will be easier if you do and you may also benefit from private medical treatment (paid for by the defendant) to help improve the speed of recovery.

Starting A Leisure Centre Accident Claim

To begin your claim, you can simply call our advice centre on 0800 6524 881 to register your interest. An advisor will guide you through the process and could connect you with one of our solicitors if your case is strong enough. Remember, any claim that is taken on will be managed on a No Win No Fee basis.

Our live chat service is available 24-hours a day so please feel free to use it if you have any extra questions on making a leisure centre accident claim.