A gym-goer claims a cable on a weights machine he was using snapped with such force it “could have killed him”. Ben Burton claimed to have suffered a deep gash to his forehead and whiplash injuries at the Village Gym in Farnborough, Hants, in September last year. His head, the 43-year-old claimed, was catapulted into the floor with great force.
The former Royal Marine claimed he could have been killed after the wire on the cable cross over machine snapped as he was lifting 120kg.
Mr Burton, who is from Fleet in Hants, was taken to the A&E to be treated.
The incident, the experience of which he likened to a car crash, reignited the former Royal Marine’s PTSD and has made him “more anxious”, he claimed.
Moreover, he said he is still suffering pain, which has got worse rather than better over the months, Mr Burton said. Mr Burton is suing Village Gym for personal injury.
Speaking about the incident, Mr Burton claimed: “It could have killed me as my head went into the floor with so much force. It was like being hit by the 120kg I was lifting.
“I was stumbling around confused with blood spouting out of my head. It was like a car crash as I had no warning that the wire was going to break and I was completely unprepared for the impact.”
He continued: “Despite it being several months after the incident, the pain I am suffering has got worse rather than better.
“I have pain in my neck and lower back. How could this have happened at a large gym chain like this? The wire was sheered through and I am lucky that things weren’t worse.”
Mr Burton left the Royal Marines in 2005 after he served two tours of duty.
The former Royal Marine worked for 15 years in Iraq as a close protection officer, and during this time he saw friends being killed, which left him with PTSD.
The gym incident brought back the trauma and had an impact on his mental well-being, Mr Burton claimed.
He claimed: “This has made me more anxious and worried about life in general. It has made me think about how unsafe the world is as I didn’t think for one minute I wouldn’t be safe in the gym.
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“I have suffered from PTSD in the past after losing many friends and being blown up five times and I think this incident has brought all of that back.
“I would urge all gym operators to check their equipment every day to ensure this doesn’t happen to anybody else.”
Snezhina Yankova, a specialist personal injury lawyer from Osbornes Law – the firm supporting Mr Burton – said: “My client has suffered ongoing pain and suffering as a result of this horrendous incident. He believed that the gym was a safe place but was left bloodied and in pain through no fault of his own. I hope we can resolve this matter swiftly so my client can move on with his life.”
Express.co.uk has contacted Village Hotels, the company including Village Gym among its brands, for comment.
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