Hawkins v. Capital Fitness, Inc.

2015 IL App (1st) 133716, 29 N.E.3d 442
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMarch 4, 2015
Docket1-13-3716
StatusUnpublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 2015 IL App (1st) 133716 (Hawkins v. Capital Fitness, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hawkins v. Capital Fitness, Inc., 2015 IL App (1st) 133716, 29 N.E.3d 442 (Ill. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

2015 IL App (1st) 133716 No. 1-13-3716 Opinion filed March 4, 2015 Third Division

IN THE

APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS

FIRST DISTRICT

) Appeal from the Circuit Court ) MICHAEL HAWKINS, of Cook County. ) ) Plaintiff-Appellant, ) No. 10 L 10072 ) v. ) ) CAPITAL FITNESS, INC., d/b/a X-Sport Fitness, The Honorable ) William E. Gomolinski, ) Defendant-Appellee. Judge, presiding. )

JUSTICE HYMAN delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion. Presiding Justice Pucinski and Justice Mason concurred in the judgment and opinion.

OPINION

¶1 Michael Hawkins was at fitness club working out with hand weights when suddenly a

nearby mirror fell from the wall and struck him, causing injuries. Hawkins sued the fitness club,

Capital Fitness, Inc., alleging it negligently failed to secure the mirror or warn patrons about the

mirror and failed to cordon off the area around the mirror. Capital Fitness sought and obtained

summary judgment on the basis of the exculpatory clause in its membership agreement. Hawkins

argues the trial court erred in holding that the exculpatory clause bars his personal injury claim.

Hawkins asserts that the incident is not within the scope of possible dangers ordinarily 1-13-3716

accompanying the use of a fitness club and a genuine issue of material fact exists as to whether

his injury related to exercise. We agree and reverse.

¶2 BACKGROUND

¶3 Michael Hawkins purchased a membership with X-Sport Fitness, owned and operated by

Capital Fitness. (In his brief, Hawkins states that at the time of the incident, he had a seven-day

trial membership, but the record indicates Hawkins purchased a full membership and signed a

membership agreement on January 5, 2010.) The membership agreement, under "Additional

Terms and Conditions," included a clause entitled, “Disclaimers, Waiver, Release, and

Indemnification." This clause, in bolded capital lettering, provided in relevant part:

"MEMBER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT EXERCISE, TANNING AND USE OF THE EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES OF THE COMPANY OR OF THEIR AFFILIATES NATURALLY INVOLVES THE RISK OF INJURY AND MEDICAL DISORDERS, INCLUDING DEATH, WHETHER MEMBER, SOMEONE ELSE, SOME ACTIVITY OR SOMETHING CAUSES IT. MEMBER AGREES THAT MEMBER ENGAGES IN ALL EXERCISE *** AND USES ALL FACILITIES AND SERVICES OF THE COMPANY AND THEIR FACILITIES, AT SUCH PERSON'S OWN RISK. SUCH ENGAGEMENT AND USE INCLUDES, WITHOUT LIMITATION, USE OF THE EQUIPMENT ***. YOU AGREE THAT YOU ARE VOLUNTARILY (A) PARTICIPATING IN THESE ACTIVITIES AND USING THE EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES BASED ON SUCH PERSON'S OWN ASSESSMENT OF THE RISKS AND BENEFITS *** AND (B) ASSUMING ALL RISK OF INJURY ***.

*** MEMBER SHALL HOLD COMPANY AND THEIR AFFILIATES *** HARMLESS FROM ANY AND ALL LOSS, CLAIM, INJURY, DAMAGE AND LIABILITY SUSTAINED OR INCURRED BY MEMBER FROM OR ARISING OUT OF THE NEGLIGENT ACTS AND OMISSIONS AND ALLEGED NEGLIGENT ACT AND OMISSIONS AND OTHER ACTS AND

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OMISSIONS, OF ANY OF THE RELEASED PARTIES, ANY PERSON AT THE FACILITY OR ANYONE ELSE, OR ANY OCCURRENCE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO MEMBER'S PRESENCE AT OR USE OF THIS FACILITY *** WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, YOU AGREE *** TO RELEASE AND DISCHARGE RELEASED PARTIES FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS OR CAUSES OF ACTION, AND DO HEREBY WAIVE ALL RIGHTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE *** TO BRING A LEGAL ACTION OR ASSERT A CLAIM, FOR INJURY OR LOSS OF ANY KIND AGAINST ANY OF THE RELEASED PARTIES ARISING OUT OF THE NEGLIGENT ACTS OR OMISSIONS OR OTHER ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF ANY OF THE RELEASED PARTIES OR ANYONE ELSE AT THE FACILITY *** OR ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO PARTICIPATION BY YOU IN ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES, OR YOUR USE OF THE EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES OR SERVICES ***. THIS HOLD HARMLESS FROM AND WAIVER AND RELEASE OF ALL LIABILITY INCLUDES, WITHOUT LIMITATION, (i) INJURIES, DAMAGES OR DISEASES WHICH MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF (A) YOUR USE OF ANY FACILITY OR ITS IMPROPER MAINTENANCE, (B) YOUR USE OF ANY EXERCISE *** EQUIPMENT, (C) IMPROPER MAINTENANCE OF ANY EXERCISE *** EQUIPMENT OR FACILITIES *** AND (ii) INJURIES OR MEDICAL DISORDERS RESULTING FROM EXERCISE, OR USE OF EQUIPMENT OR FACILITIES, AT THE FACTILITY OR ANY OF THE OTHER FACILITIES ***."

¶4 Hawkins did not read the agreement before signing it. Instead, he relied only on what a

sales associate told him. According to Capital Fitness, however, sales associates lack sufficient

familiarity with the contents of the agreement to explain it to members and, in any event, are

instructed not to do so. Hawkins was given a copy of the agreement.

¶5 On January 27, 2010, Hawkins was working out at X-Sport's Logan Square gym

(Hawkins's brief states the injury occurred on January 19, but the record indicates January 27).

During his workout, Hawkins sat on a bench in front of a three-foot by eight-foot mirror hanging

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from a protruding portion of a wall. As Hawkins performed arm curls with free weights, a

patron bumped into the mirror, dislodging it. Hawkins tried jumping out of the way, but his feet

hit some weights scattered on the floor and he landed on a weight rack at which point the mirror

hit his head.

¶6 An unidentified fitness club patron or employee told Hawkins that a maintenance crew

had been working on the mirror before the accident. Hawkins then noticed a hole in the wall with

supporting wire mesh pulled out and several missing tiles from the wall.

¶7 Hawkins filed a one-count complaint against Capital Fitness alleging negligent conduct

in failing to adequately secure the mirror, failing to warn patrons that the mirror was loose and

likely to fall, and failing to cordon off the area around the mirror. Capital Fitness moved for

summary judgment, arguing that (i) the exculpatory language of the membership agreement

barred Hawkins's claim for personal injury damages and (ii) Capital Fitness could not be held

liable without proof of notice of an actual defect in the premises that proximately caused

Hawkins's accident.

¶8 After a hearing, the trial court granted Capital Fitness's motion for summary judgment.

The trial court enforced the exculpatory clause, finding (i) no substantial disparity in bargaining

power between the parties; (ii) no public policy bar to enforcement; and (iii) nothing in the social

relationship between the parties that would militate against upholding the clause. The trial court

further held that Hawkins failed to provide evidence that Capital Fitness had actual or

constructive notice of any defect concerning the mirror.

¶9 STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 10 "Summary judgment is appropriate where the pleadings, depositions, admissions, and

affidavits show that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the moving party is

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entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Direct Auto Insurance Co. v. Beltran, 2013 IL App (1st)

121128, ¶ 43. A triable issue of fact exists "where there is a dispute as to material facts, or where,

the material facts being undisputed, reasonable persons might draw different inferences from the

facts." (Internal quotation marks omitted.) Wolfram Partnership, Ltd. v. LaSalle National Bank,

328 Ill. App. 3d 207, 215 (2001). The movant for summary judgment has the initial burden of

proof. Beltran, 2013 IL App (1st) 121128, ¶ 43. An appellate court reviews a disposition of

summary judgment de novo. Id.

¶ 11 ANALYSIS

¶ 12 Execution of Membership Agreement

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Hawkins v. Capital Fitness, Inc.
2015 IL App (1st) 133716 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2015)

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2015 IL App (1st) 133716, 29 N.E.3d 442, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hawkins-v-capital-fitness-inc-illappct-2015.