Appeals Court Affirms Dismissal of Health Club Member’s Lawsuit

An Illinois state appeals court has affirmed the ruling of a lower court that the member of a fitness club, who was rendered a quadriplegic after suffering a freak injury while exercising at a club, is subject to a membership agreement he signed when joining the club, which contained “broad exculpatory terms” shielding the club from such litigation.   The clause “was clear, explicit, and unequivocally stated that a member's use of the equipment involved risks of injury, including inju