A WOMAN who suffered a torn calf muscle during an aerobics class has lost a €38,000 damages claim against a leisure centre.
Therese Murray (37), Meadow View Grove, Lucan, Co Dublin, claimed the injury had been caused by the failure of the instructor to conduct a warm-up before the class on July 1st, 2009.
Ms Murray, who was also ordered to pay legal costs, denied in cross-examination by Conor Bourke, for South County Dublin Leisure Services Ltd, that she had arrived late and had walked in midway through a warm-up session.
She told the Circuit Civil Court she had gone to a free step-aerobics trial in the Lucan Leisure Centre, Nangor Road, Clondalkin. Shortly after it started she heard and felt a “pop” in her right calf muscle, followed by severe pain.
Ms Murray said the instructor, Valerie Reilly, had told her to keep moving and “march it out”. She had received several sessions of physiotherapy, and had fully recovered within five weeks.
Ms Reilly told Mr Bourke she had been an instructor for 10 years. She would never begin a class without first conducting a 10- minute warm-up. She said Ms Murray and her sister had arrived late and joined the class as the warm-up was taking place. She had told Ms Murray to take it easy following the incident, but she had rejoined the class.
Judge Jacqueline Linnane said she preferred Ms Reilly’s version of events. Ms Murray had completed the hour-long class and had walked home with her sister.