BBC Proms musician wins payout from Duchess of Sussex’s ‘favourite’ gym over fractured elbow

Violinist Maya Meron

Credit: Champion News

A BBC Proms musician will get a payout after fracturing her elbow while taking part in the Duchess of Sussex’s “favourite” gym class.

Acclaimed violinist Maya Meron also sustained abdominal injuries when a machine she was using at the Heartcore studio in Hampstead,north London,allegedly collapsed.

The 44-year-old had sued the gym for £100,000 and is now set to get a payout following a settlement.

Court papers state that she developed a hernia following the March 2019 incident and that she is currently unable to play professionally.

Founded by trainer and designer Jessica Blum,49,Heartcore is a pilates-based training programme,where participants use a specialist in-house designed machine,the “Coreformer”.

The apparatus is a bed-like piece of equipment with moving parts,resistance springs and a bar that can be locked into different positions,to allow gym goers to perform different movements while resting their hands and bodyweight on it.

Several celebrities are reportedly fans of Heartcore’s London studios,including the Duchess of Sussex,who named the classes as her ‘favourite workout’ in a 2019 Vogue editorial.

Yet Mrs Meron,who has played alongside the London Symphony Orchestra,alleged that a locking bar on the Coreformer collapsed to ground level while she was leaning on it to perform a “downward-facing dog” manoeuvre.

According to court papers,the violinist alleged that prior to the accident,an instructor had told her to adjust the locking bar in a way that she had never done before.

As a result of the injuries sustained during the 6pm class,the musician claimed that the machine was either faulty or that she was not properly instructed on how to use it safely.

However,lawyers representing Heartcore Ltd denied blame and insisted that Mrs Meron’s injuries were caused by her own actions,according to court papers filed to the High Court and seen.

Mrs Meron’s barrister Robert Glancy KC,said in court papers that his client experiences pain in her left wrist when she plays and that she has been left “disabled” by the incident.

“She notes decreased strength particularly in her little finger,which particularly affects her ability to play her musical instrument,” he added.

The papers continued: “The consequences of the ongoing symptoms to the claimant are greater than to another individual who is not so reliant on dextrous motion of their arms for their work.

“Currently her ongoing symptoms do not permit her return to her work as a professional violinist.”

However Peter Burns KC,for Heartcore Fitness Ltd,denied all liability and blamed the musician for the incident in court documents,claiming she should have known how to operate the machine properly.

Submitted defence papers reportedly read: “The claimant was a member of the defendant’s fitness studio and had paid for and attended a total of 43 pilates classes prior to (the accident).

“The claimant well knew the procedure to move the bar between locked positions,including the need to listen for the click and vigorously shake the bar to ensure it was locked in position.”

Heartcore Fitness’ lawyers also claimed the instructor did not need to provide instructions on how to use the machine,as they knew all participants of the class were familiar with the Coreformer.

They said staff checked the machine used after the accident took place and found no problem with it.

A full assessment of damages and costs will be heard at a later date.