Segal McCambridge Secures Summary Judgment in Gymnastics Injury Case

Segal McCambridge Shareholder Carla Varriale-Barker and Associate Matthew Tamke secured summary judgment for the firm’s clients in a case involving a 10-year-old gymnast who was injured while attempting a flyaway dismount from the uneven bars.

The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants failed to provide an adequate spotter and improperly allowed the gymnast to perform the maneuver without grips. Carla and Matthew established that the gymnast had six years of experience and had successfully completed the same maneuver multiple times, including during a competition the weekend before the accident.

The defense also relied on video evidence, witness testimony and an opinion from a gymnastics safety professional. The evidence showed that the gymnast released the bar with both hands before her ankles struck it and that the absence of grips did not cause the fall. The defense further established that the gymnast possessed the skill necessary to perform the maneuver without a spotter standing immediately beside her.

On September 2, 2026, the court granted the defense’s motion for summary judgment under the primary assumption of risk doctrine. The court found that the relevant question was not whether an additional measure could conceivably have made the activity safer, but whether the defendants increased the inherent and obvious risks associated with the exercise.

The court concluded that they had not. It also found that the video evidence disproved the claim that the absence of grips caused the accident or unreasonably increased the risk.

The decision demonstrates the importance of developing a detailed evidentiary record in sports injury cases, particularly one that addresses the participant’s experience, prior performance of the activity, the mechanics of the accident and whether the defendant increased the risks inherent in the sport.