Tel Aviv Studio and Trainer Fined 213,000 NIS for Trainee's Spinal Injury
A Tel Aviv court ordered a fitness studio and trainer to pay 213,000 NIS in compensation to a 30-year-old trainee who suffered a permanent spinal injury during a functional workout.
A routine fitness training session at a studio on Tchernichovsky Street in Tel Aviv resulted in a spinal fracture and permanent disability for a 30-year-old trainee. Asked to jump from the floor onto a box during a functional circuit training session, she lost her balance, fell backward, and injured her back on nearby equipment.
The Tel Aviv Magistrates' Court has now ruled that the studio and the trainer were negligent, ordering them to pay her approximately 213,000 NIS in compensation, plus legal fees and expenses.
Incident Details and Court Rulings
The trainee, who was serving as an IDF officer at the time, was evacuated to Ichilov Hospital, where the fracture was diagnosed. In her lawsuit against the studio, the trainer, and their insurance companies, she argued that a safe training environment was not guaranteed and proper supervision was lacking. The defendants claimed that sports activities involve inherent risks that she assumed, and that she fell due to her own lack of caution.
Judge Hadar Masuri accepted her version, which was supported by the testimony of a friend who trained alongside her, stating that she fell onto a rowing machine. He noted that it should have been foreseen that a trainee performing high jumps could fall backward, making the placement of equipment nearby a safety hazard that the trainer and studio should have prevented.
However, the judge attributed 20% contributory negligence to the trainee, noting that she had previously suffered from an ankle ligament tear and recurrent sprains, meaning she should have exercised caution, such as choosing a less strenuous exercise or moving the box away from the equipment.
Compensation and Insurance Disputes
According to the trainee, she has suffered from chronic back pain and sleep difficulties since the accident, leading her to transition to a role allowing her to work from home most of the week. A court-appointed expert assessed her permanent disability at 10%. Her claim for compensation for lost wages was rejected because her income was not affected and actually increased.
Insurance companies attempted to deny coverage. "Shomera" claimed the studio's policy did not cover the trainer's liability, while Phoenix Holdings initially claimed the trainer's policy was not renewed, and later that it was renewed but cancelled. The judge rejected these claims and criticized Phoenix Holdings:
"It is expected of an insurance company to present the full factual basis in good faith."
Ultimately, two-thirds of the liability was assigned to the trainer and one-third to the studio. "Naturally, the primary responsibility lies with the trainer who is present, responsible for the group, gives instructions, arranges stations, and determines the sequence of actions," the judge wrote, emphasizing that studio owners also cannot disclaim responsibility for trainee safety.
