Many people have admired the strength and skills demonstrated at the Toyoko Olympic Games over the last few weeks, with Team GB bringing home 65 medals and coming in at 4th place overall.
The Olympics often inspires people of all ages to take up new sports or follow their passion. Lots of adults participate in team sports and individual sports regularly to keep themselves fit and active, to enjoy their hobbies and to socialise with likeminded people. It is estimated that 40.7% of men and 31.7% of women participate in sports on a weekly basis in the UK.
Of course, playing sports does come with a certain amount of accepted risk of injury, particularly high-contact or high-speed sports; but there are instances where people partaking in sports suffer serious injury as a result of someone else’s negligence.
Our Personal Injury Lawyers take a look at this particularly tricky area of injury claims.
Can You Sue For an Injury Whilst Playing Sports?
The short answer is yes if someone else has been negligent. However, making a claim for an injury whilst playing sports may not be as straightforward as other personal injury claims. To open a claim, you will need to prove the following.
- There was a duty of care (from the event organiser / gym / coach / venue etc.)
- Somebody who owed you a duty of care was negligent; and
- An incident occurred due to that negligence; and
- As a result, you sustained a preventable injury
There must be someone or an organisation that was responsible for your care. For example, if you became injured after a casual kick-about with friends in a park, that is your own responsibility. However, if you were part of an organised event or were injured due to faulty equipment or negligent care, then this is when a claim may be brought.
Contact sports, such as football and rugby, will carry a certain amount of expected injury. Players understand that they will be tackled and will be exerting their physical fitness whilst playing and can often be responsible for hurting others too. This would not necessarily constitute negligence.
Where injuries go beyond the expected or acceptable play, for example dangerous tackles, reckless care, or violence, then you may be entitled to claim. Additionally, if the pitch or facilities are unsafe, damaged, or badly maintained resulting in you sustaining an injury then again, you may be entitled to claim.
Types of injury sustained whilst playing sports can vary greatly. From sprains and cuts to more serious injuries such as broken bones, spinal damage, and internal injury. Head injuries can be common from falls whilst skiing or horse riding. Other sports such as motor racing and cycling can cause catastrophic and life-altering injuries. Competitive cheerleading has become one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and according to research from the United States (where the sport is very popular), 66% of catastrophic sporting injuries amongst females are caused by cheerleading.
Injured as a Spectator
Unfortunately, even watching a sport can result in accidental injury from time to time. But where an injury was preventable or occurred due to negligence by the sports organisers or venue, then you may be able to make a claim.
If health and safety regulations have failed, crowd control has not been managed or safety precautions have not been followed correctly then there could be a claim for compensation.
Gym Accidents and Injuries
There are over 10 million people in the UK with a gym membership. Many people injure themselves each year whilst training at the gym. There is a certain amount of personal responsibility to ensure that an injury is prevented, which is why gym-goers should have a full induction, use machines and weights sensibly, take doctors or trainers advice and not over-exert themselves.
Gyms have a responsibility to ensure that their equipment and machinery are regularly tested and well maintained to prevent their members from harm. They must also ensure that the gym environment is free of any dangers such as wet floors and trip hazards.
If you have suffered an injury due to the negligence of a gym or a personal trainer, then you may be able to make a claim for your injuries.
Compensation for Injury – No Win No Fee
If an injury has caused you pain and discomfort, has impacted your ability to work, play sports or impacted your finances from not being able to earn or incurring medical expenses then you might be looking into making a compensation claim.
Getting your life back on track after injury can be made easier with financial compensation and pursuing a sporting injury claim correctly is important for improving your chances of success and maximising your pay out.
For an honest, professional review of your circumstances, please contact one of our experienced team of Injury Lawyers at Lamb Brooks. Call the team on 01256 844888, email enquiries@lambbrooks.com or speak to our online chat assistant who can take some basic details and arrange a call back.
Other Articles You May Be Interested in Reading:
How Much Does a Personal Injury Claim Cost?
Cycling Injury: When You Can Make a Claim
6 Signs You May Have a Personal Injury Claim
The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.