Crossfit Lawsuit

Off Topic
1

I have tried searching for it on the forum but to no avail.

A Marine in MANASSAS, Va is sueing “Crossfit” for injuring him.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/08/marine_crossfit_081608w/

“The lawsuit, filed by former Information Systems Technician 1st Class Makimba Mimms in Prince William County, Va., Circuit Court late last year, seeks $500,000, as well as punitive damages, in connection with the permanent disability Mimms allegedly suffered as a result of performing the CrossFit workout under the direction of a trainer at a Manassas gym.”

The most recent strength coach podcast (19.5) was pretty damning of the the Crossfit program about it’s progression, technique and the non-screening approach it takes by just chucking out plans.

Quite interesting, to note however that the guy managed to injure himself doing:

As per http://baye.com/ :

"Three rounds of each of the following, performed for 15, then 10, then 5 reps:

10 pound dumbbell thrusters (a thruster is a combined squatting and pressing movement)
Burpees
Bodyweight Squats …

…Either Mimms actually did a far more challenging workout than the one listed above, is terribly weak and deconditioned, or was injured doing something else and is trying to make the CrossFit instructor a scapegoat."

Being in the UK other than the web there isn’t much discussion about the lawsuit. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the lawsuit.

3

so Corssfit is an organization?

if anything, I think the guy would sue the trainer, unless the trainer works for Crossfit (again I didn’t know it was an organization).

4

[quote]Mick28 wrote:
But I guess that sort of training works for some of them, some appear to be lean and in good condition, although you’d never mistake them for bodybuilders, but then that’s not the look that they’re after.
[/quote]

I’ve seen some very impressive female physiques produced using crossfit training.

Males? Not so much.

5

Let me guess, this dumb shit hit himself in the face with a db?

6

I understand the premise of Crossfit and agree that it is usually ill perscribed and too cookie cutter.

People who file lawsuits like this piss me off. I am sure Manasass gym had this guy sign a waiver and they will pay him some settlement for him to go away.

He probablly hurt his little thumb and can’t rub his pecker like he used to.

7

[quote]dday wrote:
Let me guess, this dumb shit hit himself in the face with a db? [/quote]

Even if he did, how much damage could one possibly do with a 10lbs dumbbell? Probably not $500k worth, I’d bet.

In a related story, I once had a personal training client bet me that a 5lbs dumbbell dropped from waist height would break something if it landed on your foot. I took that bet, and earned myself $20 and a sore toe.

8

[quote]Bauer97 wrote:
dday wrote:
Let me guess, this dumb shit hit himself in the face with a db?

Even if he did, how much damage could one possibly do with a 10lbs dumbbell? Probably not $500k worth, I’d bet.

In a related story, I once had a personal training client bet me that a 5lbs dumbbell dropped from waist height would break something if it landed on your foot. I took that bet, and earned myself $20 and a sore toe.[/quote]

Exactly, non of those exercises done by my improperly by grandfather would have done $500k worth of damage, you’d have be a total moron to hurt yourself that bad with a 10lb db.

5lb db dropped had to hurt like a bitch.

9

[quote]dday wrote:

5lb db dropped had to hurt like a bitch.
[/quote]

Eh, it’s not like I dropped it directly on my pinky toe in bare feet. I had shoes on, and it was a rubberized dumbbell. Plus, it was lavender in color. I didn’t find it all that threatening.

In retrospect, I would’ve been royally pissed off if I had actually somehow broken something in my foot, AND had to pay $20.

10

[quote]echelon101 wrote:
Quite interesting, to note however that the guy managed to injure himself doing:

As per http://baye.com/ :

"Three rounds of each of the following, performed for 15, then 10, then 5 reps:

10 pound dumbbell thrusters (a thruster is a combined squatting and pressing movement)
Burpees
Bodyweight Squats …

[/quote]

Eh? What? How? Did he do all of them on a swiss ball? you know…since it’s more “functional” and all…

11

I blew water out my nose reading TC’s last article. It burned a little. Think I can get $100k?

12

[quote]Bauer97 wrote:
Mick28 wrote:
But I guess that sort of training works for some of them, some appear to be lean and in good condition, although you’d never mistake them for bodybuilders, but then that’s not the look that they’re after.

I’ve seen some very impressive female physiques produced using crossfit training.

Males? Not so much.[/quote]

I did crossfit for a while and saw changes very quickly. I stopped because I didn’t have enough equipment and I wanted to focus on just getting stronger, but I still occasionally do some selective WOD’s to mix things up, especially if I catch myself gaining weight. I’m rather ADD when it comes to training and the WOD’s can be fun (in a sweaty, nauseating, exhausting sense of the word). My husband, however, didn’t benefit from the program as much as I did.

13

I read the article. Now I have a new word to look up: Rhabdomyoloysis, which is apparently what he is suffering from since his workout.

DB

14

Its when overexertion occurs/high intensity workout micro-fragments of muscle tissure get released into the bloodstream poisoning the kidneys.

15

Crossfit is definitely the most intense athletic conditioning program you can do. It is easy to overexert yourself, and that’s probably what happened to this guy.

I disagree that crossfit doesn’t produce any impressive male physiques:

Almost all the competitors at the crossfit games are impressive. However, don’t think that they got into that kind of shape just doing the workout of the day posted on the cfit website. You have to add in strength conditioning before you do the WoD, like the gym I went to did.

16

Crossfit didn’t produce that physique, genetics did, and he would probably look better if he trained with HIT vs. crossfit.

Only thing crossfit does is make you better at crossfit workouts.

17

[quote]dollarbill44 wrote:
I read the article. Now I have a new word to look up: Rhabdomyoloysis, which is apparently what he is suffering from since his workout.

DB[/quote]

Per Gray Cook in the strengthcoach podcast:

“Rhabdomyoloysis is a life threatening injury, its not a little muscle soreness.”

Some of you guys need to think before you go knocking this guy as it being his fault. “Dropping a 10 pound DB on his head” is rather benign compared to this. He is under the supervision of an “expert” and it is the trainer’s responsibility to make sure his client is not going to hurt himself, never mind risking his life.

Crossfit selling shirts suggesting you might get rhabdo really hurts their case in this.

18

[quote]belligerent wrote:
Crossfit didn’t produce that physique, genetics did, and he would probably look better if he trained with HIT vs. crossfit.

Only thing crossfit does is make you better at crossfit workouts.[/quote]

Isn’t that what they say about bodybuilders? Well, genetics and drugs.

19

[quote]Bauer97 wrote:
dday wrote:
Let me guess, this dumb shit hit himself in the face with a db?

Even if he did, how much damage could one possibly do with a 10lbs dumbbell? Probably not $500k worth, I’d bet.
[/quote]

Just because he asks for 500k in the complaint doesn’t mean he’s automatically entitled to it if he makes his case. The jury will decide damages.

The problem is that you can never get a settlement for more than you request in the original pleading, so his lawyer has to highball a figure or run the risk of malpractice.

20

i ve been waiting for this to happen…
crossfit gets thrown around like its the bees knees.
its the same as body pump no screening.
people get hurt doing these classes.
people have gotten hurt worse for less of a workout then that so dont look down on it.
whose to know what shoulder/hip posture this person has.
good lesson for the trainer.
good lesson for crossfit