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A violinist who suffered a career-ending injury at a celebrity-run fitness studio has won the right to more than £250,000 compensation.
Maya Mellon, 44, was using a Pilates machine at Heartcore studios in Hampstead, London in March 2019 when the machine fell forward and she was hospitalized with a fractured left elbow and severe abdominal injuries.
Mellon is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington and the Royal Academy of Music in London. Prior to the accident, she toured the world as a violinist, performing with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Simon Rattle, and the BBC Proms. With her career as a performer coming to an end after the accident, Mellon sued Heartcore Fitness, owned by Jess Schulling, which has studios across London and counts celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Robbie Williams, and Elle Macpherson among its clients.
Since the accident, Mellon has had reconstructive surgery on her elbow and abdomen, and is undergoing therapy to assist with her mobility. She has long-term damage to two nerves in her left arm and is unable to separate two fingers on her left hand, meaning she is unable to play the violin.
She claims that because the fitness company denied the incident, she was forced to embark on a four-year investigation and gather evidence of safety concerns. She sent private investigators to infiltrate Heartcore gyms and gather evidence about how the Pilates machines were operated.
Heartcore has been ordered to pay 85 per cent of Mellon’s claim, including an upfront payment of £250,000, with the final award to be decided by a High Court judge.
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