Sports Injuries

Almost every person has played a sport at some point in their life, whether it was in a youth league, on a school team, on an adult recreational team, or as a family activity. Anyone who plays a sport should recognize that participating in a physical activity comes with the risk of injury. Sports injuries occur on a daily basis and can require extensive medical attention and recovery time.

While many sports injuries are completely accidental and happen in the natural course of the game, other injuries occur because another person or party acted in a negligent or reckless manner. In such cases, the injured individual has the right to hold the negligent party liable for their injury-related losses. An experienced sports injury attorney can evaluate your situation and determine whether you may have a valid legal claim.

COMMON SPORTS INJURIES

Most accidental sports injuries include sprains, strains, and other orthopedic issues that can occur from overexertion or even a misstep. However, some of the most common sports injuries caused by negligence include:

• Concussions;
• Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI);
• Spinal cord injury;
• Contusions;
• Fractures;
• Facial or jaw injuries;
• Eye injuries;
• Damage to the back or neck.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SPORTS INJURIES?

When a sports injury is purely accidental, no one can be held responsible for an injury and your regular health insurance company will have to cover the costs of your treatment. However, when negligence is involved, it is critical to identify all potentially negligent or reckless parties so you can hold them financially responsible for your losses. Many different parties can act in a wrongful way to lead to preventable sports injuries, including the following:

• Coaches;
• School districts;
• Owners of sports facilities;
• Equipment manufacturers;
• Other players;
• Trainers or medical staff.

YOUTH SPORTS INJURIES

Advocacy group Safe Kids Worldwide reported that in a single year in the United States, 2.6 million children visited the emergency room due to injuries sustained in sports and recreational activities. While some of these children require relatively minor treatment and are sent home, others experience severe symptoms and need extensive medical treatment. Because children’s bodies are still developing, they may be more susceptible to injuries and such injuries may result in more future complications. Youth sports cases can be different from adult sports injury cases in many ways and, if your child has been injured, you should seek help from a lawyer with experience helping young athletes.

SPORTS HEAD INJURIES

Many sports create a substantial risk of sports head injuries. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), more than 446,000 individuals received treatment in emergency rooms in the U.S. for sports-related injuries in a single year. Head injuries from sports can include concussion, moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), skull fractures, and more.

Not only can sports head injuries have serious immediate effects including loss of consciousness, disorientation, headaches, and more, but they can also cause long-term cognitive, physical, and emotional problems for victims. If you have sustained a head injury in a sports accident, do not hesitate to call a skilled Baltimore sports injury attorney for help today.

WHAT SPORTS ACCIDENTS CAN CAUSE HEAD INJURIES?

Head injuries can occur in almost any sport, however, the sports most commonly associated with head injuries include the following:

• Football;
• Boxing;
• Hockey;
• Soccer;
• Baseball and softball.

In such sports, taking blows to the head may even be a routine part of the game and, even with the proper protective headgear, players are still at risk for serious head injuries.

LIABILITY FOR HEAD INJURIES

If a head injury took place in the normal course of the sport, you may not be able to financially recover for your losses. However, if someone acted negligently to cause your head injury, you may have the right to file a legal claim to seek compensation from that party.

Many different parties can act negligently in many different ways that can lead to head injuries in sports. For example, another player could act aggressively or recklessly and could cause a blow to the head. In addition, coaches or trainers may not properly evaluate a player who has received a blow to the head and may send them back out onto the field, putting them at risk of serious immediate and long-term complications.

Regardless of the way in which your sports accident took place, you should always have the circumstances of the injury reviewed thoroughly by an experienced attorney. In many cases, the fact that negligence caused contributed to an accident is not clear to the untrained eye, so not meeting with a lawyer could mean leaving thousands of dollars in compensation on the table. When you meet with an attorney, he or she will review every aspect of your case and determine who, if anyone, may be liable. In some cases, multiple parties could be held liable for your head injury, while in others, liability may fall squarely on one person or a particular business.

Contact a Baltimore Head Injury Attorney Today to Discuss Your Case

Head injuries can be life-changing events that affect every day of victims’ lives. For this reason, it is critical for people who have sustained a head injury in a sports accident to speak with an attorney about their legal options. The Baltimore sports injury lawyers of the Casper Firm are committed to protecting the legal rights of injured victims and strive to obtain the largest possible settlement or award in each case they take. To schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers, please call our office today.