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Everything You Need to Know If You Have to Make a Sports Injury Claim

Cynthia Madison provides an insight into how to make a Sports Injury Claim.

The sports industry is a high-risk one. No matter the type of sport you play, there is always an element of risk involved, as it requires a great deal of physical and mental training to succeed in this industry. Regardless of how many preventive measures you take, accidents can still happen. In case of such an unfortunate event, it is crucial to know that you might be eligible for a personal injury claim.

Indeed, in any sporting activity, it is highly likely you may incur an injury, given that training as well as practising the sport pushes your body. So, you are prone to get injured, and no one is at fault. Due to bad luck or heavy training, accidents can happen out of the blue.

However, there are also some situations when you can get a sports-related injury because of someone's recklessness or negligence, whether your trainer or medical provider or due to a piece of faulty equipment. In these cases, chances are you are eligible to file a compensation claim for a personal injury.

As an athlete, no matter if you are an experienced one or just at the beginning of the road, it is of the utmost importance you know all the necessary steps for filing a compensation claim. It is better to be prepared in case an unfortunate incident happens.

Possible sports injury cases eligible for compensation claims

There are many possible ways to get injured when you are an athlete or playing a particular sport. Apart from the instances when this could happen without someone being responsible for it, there are also some situations when this happens because of recklessness.

For example, some of the possible sports injury cases where you are eligible to file a compensation claim are as follows:

  • Any faulty or poorly maintained equipment or tools needed when training, such as weights
  • A reckless move, like a tackle or another athlete’s deliberate assault
  • Improper ground or surface conditions on courts, resulting in trips and falls
  • Inadequate advice or insufficient instructions from trainers
  • Not putting preventive measures or signage in place

All these situations can cause the individual a personal injury due to negligence, in which case you are entitled to claim compensation. The persons at fault could be coaches, someone from the medical staff, or the facility owner.

Seek medical assistance

If you are involved in any of the accidents mentioned earlier, the first thing you need to do is to seek medical assistance immediately. Although it may seem like you have a minor injury, in some cases, you can be affected in a way that is not visible straight away, such as suffering from internal bleeding. Similarly, if you have a broken bone, it is of the utmost importance you do not make sudden movements, which could worsen your situation.

Depending on the first diagnosis, you know what the next course of action is. If the injury is minor, you can proceed with the following steps towards filing a compensation claim. A noteworthy mention will be to investigate your health condition further, even if the injury is deemed minor by the emergency medical team. This will ensure there are no other issues, which may develop at a later time.

Gather evidence

If your medical condition is not severely affected, you must gather evidence to support your compensation claim for personal injury. In the event of someone causing the accident due to negligence, this means they have breached their duty to take care of you. In this case, it is within your right to file a claim. But for this to be a solid case, evidence is necessary.

The type of proof you need to collect would include anything from photographs of the accident scene and any faulty equipment involved, if there were any, to witness statements. You may use a smartphone to take the visual evidence, as these devices provide the date and even the location. In addition, you must provide receipts and any proof of the expenses involved and medical documents like the diagnoses, course of treatment, and bills. Suppose you can also file an accident report. In that case, as it may be necessary if the accident happened in the stadium due to poorly maintained surfaces, you should also include this as evidence.

Contact a professional

Regardless of how minor the accident is, hiring a professional personal injury lawyer is highly recommended. Getting legal advice is necessary, as chances are you do not have the required knowledge in terms of legal cases, especially for a niche like personal injury claims.

Experts from Personal Injury Claims Care point out that "individuals who have been a victim of an accident which resulted in a personal injury are already quite affected and under emotional distress. A personal injury lawyer can support them by reliving some of the stress felt, offering them some peace of mind. Plus, they are professionally trained and specialized in personal injury cases and can help you gather evidence and build a strong case to get the compensation you deserve."

The time limit for filing a compensation claim

It is crucial to know that there is a time limit for filing a personal injury compensation claim. Generally, this limit is three years from the date when the accident occurred. However, there may be some cases when you become aware of an illness or health problem long after the accident, but that problem is a direct cause of the unfortunate incident.

In this case, the three-year period applies from the moment you are aware of that particular health issue or injury, which resulted from the accident. Another exception to this time limit is if the unfortunate incident happened due to faulty products. There is a 10-year time limit from the moment the product went into circulation, in addition to the three-year standard limit.

Final thoughts

Suppose you are an athlete who has suffered from a personal injury due to a person or organization's negligence or failure to adhere to health and safety measures. In that case, you are entitled to file a compensation claim. For this, it is crucial to gather enough evidence and contact a professional personal injury lawyer for you to get the compensation you deserve for the physical and emotional distress you have suffered.


Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

  • MADISON, C. (2021) Everything You Need to Know If You Have to Make a Sports Injury Claim [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article668.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Cynthia Madison is a freelance journalist.