Key points when claiming for a leisure centre accident
- The leisure centre operator, or local council must keep visitors safe and can be liable if you are injured due to their negligence.
- You have 3 years to start a claim, but the sooner you act the better your chances of success.
- Compensation claims often involve slips, trips, falls, faulty equipment, or poor hygiene practices. Check our compensation calculator to see how much you could claim.
- Claims can be made on a no win, no fee basis with a solicitor's support.
If a leisure centre injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward
Leisure centres should should be safe spaces for everyone including employees, but injuries are not uncommon. Whether you’ve slipped on a wet floor, been hurt by faulty equipment, or suffered an injury due to poor supervision, you can claim compensation if the leisure centre has been negligent.
This article will guide you through the process of making a leisure centre injury claim, helping you understand your rights and the steps to take to secure the compensation you need.
1/3 or all major injuries are from slips and trips - you are not alone
Leisure centre hazards can range widely from faulty gym equipment, to slippery surfaces with no warning signs, to accidents involving sports spectators, to over-chlorinated pools.
Slips and trips (which are common in leisure centres) are responsible for over 1/3 of all reported major injuries (hse.gov.uk).
The owner and operator of a leisure centre, often the Council or Local Authority, has a duty of care to both staff and visitors who use the centre.
If you are injured as a result of the owner's or occupier's negligence, you can likely make a claim for personal injury compensation.
How much compensation can I claim for a leisure centre accident?
Compensation for an accident at a leisure centre is dependent on:
- how significant your injury is,
- how your injury disrupts your life and work,
- any financial impacts or losses resulting from the accident.
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General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.
Special damages are for financial losses and expenses you have incurred because of your accident. In addition to paying for lost wages, bonuses, benefits and other perks, damage to clothing, special damages can cover any care costs and medical procedures you need, such as pain medication and psychological support.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Average leisure centre injury compensation payouts
The following leisure centre injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).
These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.
Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).
Ankle injury
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Minor (relatively) | Minor fractures, sprains, and ligament injuries with full recovery | Up to £15,250 |
Moderate | A fracture or ligament injury with mild ongoing symptoms | £15,250 to £29,500 |
Severe | Lengthy treatment required, and your ability to walk has been permanently affected | £34,740 to £55,540 |
Dermatitis
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Short-term dermatitis | Affecting hands or other parts of the body (other than your face and scalp), where symptoms resolve with treatment, or short term aggravation of an existing condition | £1,890 to £4,380 |
Longer-term dermatitis | Affecting hands or other parts of the body (other than your face and scalp), where symptoms take several months or years to resolve with treatment | £9,590 to £12,660 |
Dermatitis lasting years or indefinitely | Symptoms that last indefinitely, and that affect your daily life and ability to work | £15,250 to £21,300 |
Elbow injury
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Recovery within 18 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms | Up to £3,920 |
Recovery between 18 to 36 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms | Up to £7,210 |
Recovery after 36 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms or damage | Up to £13,970 |
Facial scarring
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Minor (relatively) | A hardly noticeable scar (or scars) | £1,890 to £3,920 |
Moderate | A single scar that can be camouflaged with makeup, or multiple small scars that don't markedly affect your appearance | £4,380 to £15,250 |
Significant | Significant scarring where the worst affects are reduced by cosmetic surgery, and/or with causing a psychological impact | £10,110 to £33,380 |
Finger injury
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Relatively minor injury | Finger fractures that recover in under 6 months, and/or injuries with tenderness, pain in cold weather, or scarring | Up to £5,270 |
Index finger fracture | Fracture fully heals, but with ongoing pain, disability and an increased risk of osteoarthritis | £10,110 to £13,570 |
Serious injury | to ring or middle finger | £11,450 to £18,130 |
Knee injury
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Minor (relatively) | E.g. dislocation, torn cartilage or meniscus, that could cause future symptoms or weakness, or that exacerbated an existing injury | Up to £15,250 |
Moderate | More serious knee injuries with a greater risk of future symptoms, pain and weakness | £16,460 to £29,050 |
Serious | E.g. a leg fracture that extends to the knee joint, or injuries that cause constant pain and restricted movement, and/or a risk of osteoarthritis or future knee surgery | £29,050 to £48,210 |
Leg injury
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Simple tibia or fibula fracture | Simple fracture with full recovery | Up to £13,140 |
Simple femur fracture | Simple femur fracture with no damage to articular surfaces | £10,110 to £15,620 |
Non-facial body scars
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Minor | Burns with scarring and ongoing pain | £2,630 to £8,690 |
Moderate | Scarring such as an exploratory laparotomy scar | Around £9,590 |
Serious | A noticeable laceration scar or single disfiguring scar | £8,690 to £25,220 |
Pelvis and hip injury
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Minor (relatively) | Injury with no residual disability and complete recovery in under 2 years | £4,380 to £13,970 |
Moderate | Ongoing symptoms but no major disability | £13,970 to £43,460 |
Serious | Including fracture of acetabulum and injuries with a risk of future hip replacement surgery or leg instability | £43,460 to £58,250 |
Shoulder injury
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Soft tissue injury | Soft tissue injury with recovery in under 1 year, causing considerable pain | £2,720 to £8,750 |
Clavicle fracture | Injuries causing some pain and disability, e.g. a displaced, fractured clavicle | £5,710 to £13,580 |
Moderate | Soft tissue injury with recovery in under 2 years, and/or limited shoulder movement or frozen shoulder | £8,750 to £14,160 |
Wrist injury
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Lesser | Relatively minor soft tissue injury or displaced fracture, with a full recovery within 12 months | £3,920 to £5,260 |
Moderate | Uncomplicated Colles' fracture | Around £8,250 |
Moderate | Fracture or soft tissue injury with complete recovery | £6,750 to £11,480 |
Am I entitled to make a leisure centre injury claim?
Yes, you can claim compensation for a leisure centre accident, if:
- you were made ill in the last 3 years, and;
- another party was to blame, and;
- that party owed you a legal duty of care.
Use our injury claim calculator to find out if you can claim. Or you can call 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor. Find out in minutes if you have a claim.
Is a claim still possible if I was partly responsible for my injury?
Understanding who is legally at fault for an accident often requires navigating through a maze of legal complexities.
Each year, Quittance carries out a survey of potential claimants. In our 2025 Public Liability Injury Claimant Survey, 17.45% of respondents felt they might be at least partly to blame for their injuries.
The legal term for cases where an injured person was (to some extent) responsible for their injuries is 'contributory negligence'. If there is fault on both sides of a claim, it is possible to pay reduced compensation on a split liability agreement.
Read more:
Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?
How long after a leisure centre injury do I have to start a claim?
An injury claim will usually need to be made within 3 years of the date or your accident or injury.
For injured children, a claim can be started by a parent or guardian at any time before they turn 18. Thereafter, the injured individual has until their 21st birthday to make a claim on their own.
Common leisure centre accidents
Compensation claims for leisure centre-related injury include:
- Slip, trip and fall accidents, due to uneven surfaces, wet areas with no warning signs, gym cabling or other hazards that have not been identified and eliminated promptly.
- Bacterial, fungal and viral water and food poisoning illnesses that are spread through poor hygiene, poor cleanliness and inadequate infection control.
- Swimming pool accidents in areas that are left unsupervised by lifeguards.
- Chlorine release from incorrect mixing of swimming pool chemicals.
- Malfunctioning fitness equipment that may cause musculoskeletal injuries (fractures, strains, tendon and ligament damage).
- Injuries that occur due to out-of-date safety training or poor training techniques that are promoted by inadequately trained staff.
- Accidents that occur when no instruction or induction has been given for how to use gym equipment safely
- Burns or scalds from hot water in saunas and steam rooms.
This list is not exhaustive. Hazardous substances accidents, food poisoning, sporting injuries and electrocution accidents are among the incidents that are known to have occurred in leisure centres across the UK.
Read more:
Hazardous substances accident claims,
Inadequate training injury claims
Swimming pool injury compensation claims
Burn and scald injury compensation claims
Who is responsible for an accident in a leisure centre?
Leisure centre owners are responsible for actively supervising users and ensuring that the facility, including all equipment, is maintained in a safe condition. Councils and local authorities must implement robust safety measures to protect visitors. These measures include:
- Implementing a risk management policy to help staff identify and report hazards.
- Promptly addressing known safety hazards.
- Using visible warning signs for potential dangers, like slippery surfaces.
- Providing adequate staff training and supervision where needed.
- Offering inductions and guidance to prevent user injury.
If an accident occurs, the local council should conduct a thorough investigation and produce a written report. Although this report can support a personal injury claim, you don't need to notify the leisure centre before making a claim.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates leisure activities in the UK, providing specific safety guidelines that leisure centre operators must follow. Negligence is often assumed if these guidelines are breached. The HSE can also audit centres, investigate reported accidents, and impose penalties for non-compliance. These investigations are separate from any personal injury claims.
How did your leisure centre injury happen?
Leisure centre injury claims are usually referred to as public or occupiers' liability claims. Click on the icons below to learn more:
Can I make a no win, no fee leisure centre injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim leisure centre injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
Get expert advice now
Interested in talking to an injury specialist about your claim?
- Calls are FREE
- Confidential consultation
- No obligation to claim
- No Win No Fee solicitors
Call 0800 376 1001
or arrange a callbackSources
HSE: Information about health and safety at work (reviewed: 27/07/2024)
Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher
About the author
Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.