In Yiyang, China, a woman who wore high heels to run on a treadmill in a gym was injured and diagnosed with a tenth-degree disability. She sued the gym for over ten thousand yuan in compensation. In the end, the court ruled that the gym must bear 20% of the responsibility, compensating the woman 1,710 yuan (approximately 1,006 ringgit).
According to the Sanxiang Metropolis Daily, the incident occurred on March 8, 2024, when Liu Na (pseudonym) used her pre-purchased gym card at a gym in Yiyang to work out.
At the time, she entered the gym wearing high heels and got on the treadmill without changing into sports shoes. She started running on the machine and when she couldn't keep up with the speed, she attempted to grab the handrail to save herself, ultimately falling off the treadmill.
Afterward, Liu Na felt severe pain in her left ankle and went to the hospital the next day, where she was hospitalized for 14 days. After being discharged, an assessment agency confirmed a tenth-degree disability. She then sought an explanation from the gym, but no resolution was reached.
The gym argued that Liu Na injured herself and that they had posted a friendly reminder next to the treadmill. The content read, 'For your safety, please do not use the treadmill barefoot, or in slippers or high heels.'
Liu Na pointed out that there were no gym staff around when she fell, thus blaming lack of management by the gym, and sued the gym and the insurance company.
The court comprehensively considered the inherent risks of the exercise itself, the gym's ability as an operator to prevent risks, and whether Liu Na fulfilled her duty of care.
According to the degree of fault on both sides, the court ruled on Thursday (29th) that the gym was liable for 20% of the compensation for Liu Na's personal injury, while Liu Na was responsible for the remaining 80%.
Ultimately, Liu Na's total loss in this case amounted to over 170,000 yuan, and the gym's share was 34,200 yuan. Since the gym had purchased public liability insurance, according to the insurance policy, the court ruled that the insurance company would compensate Liu Na for 32,500 yuan, and the gym would pay 1,710 yuan.