Everything You Need to Know If You Have to Make a Sports Injury Claim
Cynthia Madison provides insight into how to make a Sports Injury Claim.
The sports industry is a high-risk one. No matter the sport you play, risk is always involved, as it requires much 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, knowing that you might be eligible for a personal injury claim is crucial.
Indeed, in any sporting activity, you may likely incur an injury, given that training and practising the sport pushes your body. So, you are prone to injury, 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, medical provider or due to a piece of faulty equipment. You can file a compensation claim for a personal injury in these cases.
As an athlete, whether you are an experienced one or just starting out, it is important to 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 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, 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 compensation. The person at fault could be a coach, someone from the medical staff, or the facility owner.
Seek medical assistance
If you are involved in any of the accidents mentioned earlier, you first need 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 that you do not make sudden movements, which could worsen your situation.
Depending on the first diagnosis, you know the next course of action. 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. It will ensure there are no other issues that may develop later.
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, the duty to take care of you is breached. In this case, it is within your rights 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 location.
In addition, you must provide receipts and any proof of the expenses involved, as well as medical documents like the diagnoses, course of treatment, and bills. 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
Hiring a professional personal injury lawyer is highly recommended, regardless of how minor the accident is. 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 relieving some of their stress and offering them peace of mind. Plus, they are professionally trained and specialised 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
Knowing there is a time limit for filing a personal injury compensation claim is crucial. Generally, this limit is three years from when the accident occurred. 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 resulting from the accident. Another exception to this time limit is if an unfortunate incident happens due to faulty products. There is a 10-year time limit from when the product went into circulation, in addition to the three-year standard limit.
Final thoughts
Suppose you are an athlete who has suffered a personal injury due to a person or organisation'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.