Former Fitness Influencer Sued for Giving Bad Health Advice

Many people seek out the help of healthcare professionals or certified fitness coaches when they need assistance improving their health or addressing medical issues. Individuals giving health or fitness advice should be qualified to do so because Individuals seeking out fitness and health care advice often rely on the advice they receive, trusting it to be accurate. When health care or fitness professionals give medical or health advice that is not accurate, the individuals receiving those instructions can become seriously injured. A case-in-point example is provided below with a former fitness celebrity whose fitness business allegedly caused harm to clients the business served. If you or a loved one were injured from bad health advice, call a Florida injury attorney for a case evaluation. We are here for you. 

In February 2022, the Texas Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Brittany Dawn Davis, a former fitness influencer claiming that her fitness business violated Texas consumer protection laws. The Texas AG’s office sought in its lawsuit between $250,000 and $1 million in penalties and court fees. The allegations against the former influencer also claim that she scammed her clients and even gave bad health advice to some women suffering from eating disorders. Davis’ alleged faulty health advice started to come to light in 2019  after thousands of angry clients joined a Facebook group named “Brittany Dawn Fitness Complaints.”

The Texas fitness influencer created her own company known as Brittany Dawn Fitness, LLC and became popular on social media with hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram.  She sold various health and wellness packages to customers which yielded thousands of dollars per month in revenue.

Unfortunately, not all of the advice Davis gave her clients was good or even healthy. Davis was contacted by several women suffering from eating disorders who sought out help combating the disease. In response, Davis posted online videos and her own personal fitness and nutrition plans along with online videos sharing her own personal journey with her own eating disorder.  Allegedly, some of Davis’ followers inferred from her videos and the information she posted that she had special expertise and training in the area of eating disorders such that they thought she was qualified to give advice on these issues. Unfortunately, Davis’ recommendations were not appropriate for many women who had unique eating disorders. In fact, some clients explained their experiences in the lawsuit and how following her plans and instructions caused them harm, including almost passing out from inadequate nutrition. Also, many of Davis’ plans were only appropriate for women who needed to lose weight, not gain weight. Unfortunately, fitness plans are not one size fits all especially when a client has a unique eating disorder.

Davis also promised to provide individualized fitness plans to some customers who would in exchange pay her hundreds of dollars a month for her suggestions. However, the lawsuit alleges that some of her plans were actually not individualized and failed to provide appropriate coaching and check-ins. Unfortunately, as a result, her clients suffered.

Professional Duty of Care

Individuals working in certain professions have a duty of care to their customers or clients.  For example, doctors have a duty of care to their patients to provide quality medical care for their patients in line with the applicable medical standard of care. They also have a responsibility to give medical advice within their medical practice area and stay within the bounds of their own medical practice area and skillset. Where a doctor provides medical advice outside of his or her medical practice area and where the doctor’s service is not in line with the medical standard of care, the doctor may have committed medical negligence or malpractice.  

Likewise, in the case of Davis, fitness and health coaches also must be careful to only provide health and fitness coaching that is in line with their training and expertise. Failure to do so may cause harm to clients and in some situations serious health issues. If you worked with a fitness or health coach and suffered injuries from receiving bad health advice, you may want to seek counsel from an experienced personal injury lawyer.

Do I Need to Hire a Florida Injury Attorney to Help Me with my Injury Case?

Litigating and being successful in a negligence or malpractice case can involve complex legal issues and courtroom procedures. Accordingly, seeking counsel from an experienced Florida injury attorney is essential. At Searcy Denney, our firm has extensive experience in personal injury law. We can represent you every step of the way in your case from preparing your case for a lawsuit, filing the lawsuit, working through the lawsuit including through settlement or trial, and in some cases filing an appeal on your behalf. An experienced Florida personal injury lawyer at our firm will assist you through the discovery process to help you collect the evidence you need to prove your case. We will attend court hearings on your behalf, file various motions with the court, and advocate for you in court. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

Our Florida Injury Attorney Explains Compensation Available in Personal Injury Cases

If you were injured after receiving bad health advice from a professional health coach, a Florida injury attorney at Searcy Denney may be able to help you receive damages.  Some damages that you may pursue from a negligence or malpractice case may include, but are not limited to:

• Outstanding and future medical bills
• Past and future lost wages
• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering

If you have questions about damages in your case, our attorneys are available to discuss the compensation you may be entitled to. 

Injured From Bad Health Advice? Contact a Florida Injury Attorney at Searcy Denney Today for Assistance  

If you have questions about whether you may receive compensation for the injuries you sustained after receiving bad health advice, contact a Florida injury attorney at Searcy Denney today for a case evaluation. Our lawyers have extensive experience with personal injury cases. Contact us today to schedule your free case evaluation. We have offices conveniently located in Tampa, West Palm Beach and Tallahassee and work on a contingency fee basis. We are standing by to help you with your personal injury case.