Lifetime Fitness Lawsuit Alleges Unsafe Gym Equipment Resulted in Injury

Gym member sustained serious and permanent injuries to her right leg in a spin bike accident, which resulted in a fractured tibia and fibula, which required surgery.

A New Jersey woman recently filed a lawsuit against Lifetime Fitness, alleging that she was injured when the gym failed to properly maintain its spin bikes and other exercise equipment, as well as adequately instruct members on their use.

The complaint (PDF) was originally brought by Mary Moltzen in New Jersey Superior Court on November 25, naming Life Time Inc., Life Time, Lifetime Fitness, and various other unidentified entities as defendants. However, Life Time Fitness subsequently removed the case to the federal court system on December 9, and it is now pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Spin bikes are stationary exercise machines commonly used in instructor-led cycling classes that have become increasingly popular at gyms nationwide. The bikes allow users to adjust resistance to simulate outdoor cycling and are designed for repeated use by large numbers of members.

While spin bikes and other gym equipment are generally considered safe when properly maintained and used, injuries can occur when equipment is defective, poorly maintained or improperly set up. Lawsuits filed in recent years have raised concerns about the risks posed when fitness equipment malfunctions or when gyms fail to adequately inspect and supervise the use of machines available to members.

According to her lawsuit, Moltzen was exercising at a Lifetime Fitness gym in Bergen County, New Jersey on December 22, 2023, when she suffered an injury while using the facility’s equipment. 

The complaint states that Moltzen was lawfully on the premises as a gym member, placing a duty on the defendants to maintain safe conditions and provide reasonable instruction and supervision.

Moltzen alleges the injury occurred as a direct result of the gym failing to provide adequate instruction or supervision on how to use its spin bikes and other machines. She also indicates the gym did not keep its equipment in safe working order and the hazardous conditions existed long enough that the defendants knew or should have known about them before the incident occurred.

Due to this alleged negligence, court filings indicate that Moltzen sustained serious and permanent injuries to her right leg, including a fractured tibia and fibula, which required surgery. She claims she has incurred significant medical expenses as a result of these injuries.

“On or about December 22, 2023, the Defendants, LIFE TIME INC., LIFE TIME, LIFETIME FITNESS, JOHN DOES (1-10), and/or ABC CORPS (1-10) breached their duty to the plaintiff, MARY MOLTZEN, in that they negligently, carelessly and/or recklessly failed to exercise reasonable care and control by not taking preventative measures necessary to protect their invitees from unsafe, dangerous, hazardous and nuisance-like conditions including, but not limited to, broken, damaged, improper, grossly negligent and/or recklessly maintained fitness equipment, including, but not limited to spin bikes, for use by the public on their subject property.”

— Mary Moltzen v. Life Time Inc. et al

Moltzen is demanding judgment for damages exceeding $75,000, not including interest and costs.

Gym Equipment Failure Lawsuits

The Lifetime Fitness lawsuit is not the first case to raise concerns about injuries allegedly caused by malfunctioning or improperly maintained gym equipment.

In October, a separate lawsuit was filed against Planet Fitness, where a gym member claimed they suffered serious injuries after a defective weight machine malfunctioned during use. That complaint alleged the equipment was not properly maintained or inspected, allowing a dangerous condition to exist on the gym floor.

Like the Planet Fitness case, the Lifetime Fitness lawsuit centers on allegations that gym operators failed to take reasonable steps to ensure equipment was safe for repeated use by members. Together, the cases highlight growing scrutiny of how fitness centers maintain high-use machines and whether adequate inspection, maintenance and supervision protocols are in place.

As these cases move forward, attorneys say they are continuing to review additional claims involving injuries allegedly linked to defective or improperly maintained gym equipment.

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