Issue #382 – Wednesday, October 26, 2022
A Pilates Legal Matter asking Brett’s opinion – I was injured when a spring broke on a reformer
by Brett Miller
This is a message sent to me using the contact form on this website, pilatesintel.com.
The sender wrote asking for my help as an expert witness in his/her lawsuit against a Pilates studio. This of course meant that I needed to ‘take a stand’ on the issue as was written to me (as seen below).
And I did (also seen below) – but perhaps not in the manner the sender wished.
(I have removed any personally-identifying information as well as anything that might identify the studio so we can focus on the incident and my response).
Subject: I was injured when a spring broke on a reformer
Hi,
My name is <<name>>. On <<date>>, I sustained serious facial injuries due to a faulty spring on the Pilates Reformer I was using at <<Studio>> in <<City>>. The studio denied liability and I am looking for an expert witness to use for trial.
I have attended Pilates Reformer classes for 6 years. I have been to over 300 classes at various Pilates studios in <<City>>. Most of the classes I attended were at <<Another Studio>> and <<Another Studio>>. I have the records documenting my attendance in the classes if needed. I bought my own Stott Pilates Reformer during COVID so I could continue my practice at home when the studios were closed.
On <<date>>, I believe there were 3 students present in the class, the instructor’s name was <<Instructor>>. We went through standard Pilates movements. At one point, we were told to kneel on the carriage with both hands on the foot bar, hip-width apart with the soles of our feet on the shoulder blocks. This is not a difficult move, it’s something one would do in a beginner class. The instructor told us to connect one yellow spring. I connected the yellow spring to the gear bar and I pressed back with my feet. Generally, there would be tension and resistance from the springs but to my surprise the first time I pressed back with the soles of my feet, the carriage unexpectedly and quickly went all the way back because the spring was broken and there was no tension. This resulted in my face slamming down to the cement floor and the resulting injury I sustained. Surprisingly the instructor ran out of the room. I was told the following day by the owner she was crying in the back because she felt bad and was too upset to teach her next class that day. On <<date>>, I received a voicemail from the owner of the studio, letting me know they were “sorry about the incident”.
I have photos of my injuries. I had two of my front teeth replaced. I may have a broken nose. I have to have reconstructive plastic surgery on my lip. I am still in pain 6 weeks after the injury. Please advise if you are available as an expert witness.
Namaste,
<<name>>
—
Here is the response I sent to this person (again, anonymized so that we can focus on the incident and not the people involved):
Hi <<name>>,
First of all, I am sorry to hear of your misfortune.
Brett Miller is the founder of Pilates Intel, he started his professional life in the world of ballet, working with various companies in the US. Later on he moved to New York and branched out into modern along with the ballet. Since then, he has lived in Finland and now in Stockholm Sweden.
Brett became a Pilates instructor in 2005 and has been teaching ever since. The intelligent technique that Pilates is, and the chance to continue to be physical, attracted him to this field after being so long in the dance world. Along with teaching Pilates and publishing Pilates Intel, Brett is a software developer for Ericsson.