Gold’s Gym Lawsuit Alleges Cable Machine Failed, Causing Traumatic Brain Injury

Lawsuit comes as gyms face growing scrutiny over equipment maintenance, inspections and other safety practices designed to protect members from preventable injuries.

An Oregon woman has filed a lawsuit against Gold’s Gym alleging a cable weight machine catastrophically failed during normal use, throwing her backward and causing a traumatic brain injury, spinal injuries and other permanent complications.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Angel Saucier in Oregon Circuit Court on July 31. It names TGD Fitness LLC, doing business as Gold’s Gym Tigard, and Gym 80 USA Inc., the alleged manufacturer of the cable machine, as defendants.

Saucier alleges the gym failed to properly inspect, maintain and remove unsafe equipment from service, while Gym 80 manufactured and sold a defective cable machine that failed during foreseeable use.

Weight Machine Injury Risks

Cable weight machines are common pieces of fitness equipment found in commercial gyms, using steel cables, pulleys and weight stacks to provide adjustable resistance during strength training exercises.

Because the equipment relies on cables subjected to repeated stress, manufacturers and fitness facilities are generally expected to inspect the machines regularly, replace worn components and remove equipment from service if signs of excessive wear or deterioration are discovered.

When those precautions are not followed, a cable failure can cause a sudden loss of resistance, potentially throwing users off balance and resulting in serious head, neck and back injuries, including traumatic brain injuries.

Gold’s Gym Cable Machine Lawsuit

According to the complaint, Saucier was using a cable weight machine at Gold’s Gym in Tigard, Oregon, when the machine’s cable allegedly snapped without warning during a routine exercise.

The lawsuit indicates the sudden failure caused Saucier to be violently thrown backward, resulting in a traumatic brain injury and numerous additional injuries.

Among the injuries identified in the complaint are a cerebrospinal fluid leak, concussion, cervical instability at C1-C2, herniated cervical discs, thoracic sprain and other neurological and spinal complications.

The complaint alleges Gold’s Gym failed to properly inspect the equipment, replace worn cables and other components, maintain inspection and maintenance records, follow the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations and remove unsafe equipment from service.

Saucier also claims the gym failed to adequately train employees to inspect high-use cable machines, failed to discover dangerous conditions that would have been identified through reasonable inspection and failed to warn members about known or reasonably discoverable hazards.

“Gold’s Gym knew or, in the exercise of reasonable care, should have known that cable weight machines require periodic inspection, maintenance, replacement of worn components, and removal from service when excessive wear is present.”

— Angel Saucier v. TGD Fitness LLC et al.

The lawsuit separately raises strict product liability claims against Gym 80, alleging the manufacturer designed, manufactured, assembled, distributed or sold a cable weight machine that was defective when it left the company’s control.

Saucier indicates she has already incurred more than $85,000 in medical expenses and expects to require substantial additional treatment. The complaint also alleges the injuries have impaired her ability to work as a professional fitness model and IFBB bodybuilder, resulting in lost income and diminished earning capacity.

The filing raises allegations of negligence, gross negligence and strict products liability. It seeks compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages resulting from the alleged cable machine failure.

Fitness Center Lawsuits

Saucier’s complaint comes as fitness centers face increased scrutiny over equipment maintenance, inspection practices and gym layouts intended to protect members from preventable injuries.

In April, a California woman brought a lawsuit against 24 Hour Fitness alleging her husband suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling from a treadmill, and claiming the gym’s equipment placement and inadequate safety precautions contributed to the incident that left him permanently disabled.

Another complaint filed late last year alleged a New Jersey Life Time Fitness location failed to properly inspect and maintain its spin bikes and other exercise equipment, resulting in injuries to a member.

Earlier in 2025, a Pennsylvania couple brought a Planet Fitness lawsuit after the cable on an upright rowing machine allegedly snapped, throwing the husband backward into adjacent exercise equipment that was positioned too closely together. According to the complaint, he suffered a fractured vertebra, a broken rib and a collapsed lung.

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