Even if you’re playing a sport as an amateur, there is always a chance of suffering an injury. “Sports injury claims are among the rarest types of personal injury claims,” according to The Barnes Firm attorneys, a company that has offices in California and New York state.
There are a few reasons why sports injury claims are so rare. First of all, you won’t see them in professional sports as these athletes have complete medical coverage. Unless there was some major oversight, professional athletes usually do not make claims against their sports team.
The second reason why sports injury claims are rare is that there aren’t many people who get injured playing amateur sports. What’s even worse, most of these athletes do not even realize they can start a claim due to negligence.
Can you start a legal process for a sports injury?
Unless you’re contractually obligated professional, you can start a legal process for just about any amateur sports injury that occurs due to negligence. It doesn’t matter if you played with the local drinking buddies or you suffered an injury during classes.
When talking about small local events, it is the organizers’ duty to impose the necessary safety measures to ensure that the field or court is up to standards. Of course, you can also start a legal process if you were intentionally injured by one of the participants.
A claim is meant to cover all the medical costs but also mental trauma. If you miss time from work or are unable to perform your job, you can also seek compensation for future income. To win a sports injury claim, you will have to prove the following things:
- There were one or several people meant to ensure your safety during the sports event.
- The injury occurred due to that someone’s negligence, whether we’re talking about a trainer, another player, or an organizer.
- Due to this, you received an injury that could otherwise have been prevented.
One of the issues with sports injuries is that it’s relatively hard to prove another person’s guilt. For example, if someone tackles you during a match, it is hard to determine that this was a malicious, purposeful attack.
What kind of evidence do I need to make a claim?
Gathering enough evidence can make or break your case. Here are some of the things you should pay attention to:
- As soon as the incident occurs, you should report it to the responsible body. It is their duty to record the accident in an appropriate log.
- If there was a serious crime or an outside attack on one of the players, you need to report it to the police as soon as possible.
- If you end up in a hospital, make sure that these injuries are recorded. In these trials, medical records are of the utmost importance. Among others, they can affect your compensation.
- Even during amateur events, there is often someone filming the action. You should contact the person who made the footage, so they provide the evidence. Furthermore, you can use any of the present individuals as a witness.
- Make sure to record your rehabilitation progress.
When you gather enough evidence, you should contact a few sports injury specialists. Given that sports injuries are sometimes hard to win, consult a few people regarding your chances. That way, you won’t be wasting money.
What are the most common reasons behind sports injuries?
There are only a handful of situations where you could lay a claim. Understanding the Seattle Sports Injury Law is half the battle. Here are some of the common situations after which people open a legal case:
- Playing a match on a dangerous field, court, or pitch.
- The equipment was damaged, or it wasn’t good enough to protect from injuries.
- The venue was damaged, poorly maintained, or poorly secured.
- Your coach gave you bad advice during the game, which directly resulted in an injury.
- Very reckless tackle by another player.
- Outside attack by a person not involved in the match.
- Poor safety protocols or improper safety training.
You can start a legal process for just about any sport. Most injury claims occur after football, rugby, or other physical team sports, auto moto sports, gymnastics, horse sports, winter sports, and water sports.
Another common issue with sports injury claims pertains to compensation. It is hard to determine how much money a person should pay as there are lots of things to consider. Generally speaking, the compensation is paid according to your pain and suffering and associated financial costs caused by the injury (loss of time at work, inability to work, etc.)