Sport injuries can be severe, painful and costly. Sometimes they simply come with the territory of taking part in the sport. However, there may be times the actions of someone else causes your injury in which case you should be looking to hire a sports injury attorney.
Sports injuries can greatly vary in severity from bruises and scrapes to concussions and broken bones. Some sports are riskier than others but when you sign up for the roster, you probably aren’t thinking about how you could sustain a personal injury that you’ll need defense for.
Defining a sports injury
There are inherent risks to playing a sport that an athlete submits to when engaging in a sport. The majority of sports injuries do not leave room for a personal injury lawsuit. But there can be circumstances in which an athlete can seek financial damages for injury.
If another athlete knowingly and willingly violates a sport rule or regulation that endangers and then injures another athlete, you can sue. Recklessness on behalf of the other athlete is key in your ability to seek a lawsuit or settlement for your injuries.
As a parent, you probably signed a waiver for your child to participate in a sport. However, if a coach or supervisor is using training practices unsafe for a child’s age, you may be able to prove that this recklessness resulted in your child’s injury.
Additionally, you could sustain an injury while watching a sporting event. Once again, there is an assumption of risk when you take part in a sporting event. However, there are also situations where a venue can be at fault for your injury. For example, a lack of maintenance and inspection of nets and protection for spectators can make the venue at fault for your injury.
Proving negligence or reckless behavior
Given the assumption of risk associated with sports, it will be difficult for you to negotiate your own sports injury. Sports injuries are complicated to prove negligence or reckless behavior making it best for you to hire a sports injury attorney.
Your attorney will work with you to evaluate the details of your injury. In addition to this, your attorney will also assist you in documenting the situation. For example, there can be times when maintenance of a field involves negligence that results in your injury.
An example of a situation where field maintenance can be negligent is if there is equipment left on the field. When playing a sport, you aren’t expecting there to be equipment or debris in the way, which can result in injury.
Photos and proof of the details surrounding your injury can greatly improve the likelihood of you receiving a settlement for your injury.
Financial losses you can sue for in sports injuries
As you evaluate your sports injury case with your attorney, you can evaluate what expenses you can seek as part of your settlement.
Some common expenses you can expect to be part of your case are:
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Lost future earnings
It’s important to keep good documentation of your expenses throughout your recovery process. Your sports injury attorney can guide you in what to document and how.
Choosing your sports injury attorney
As you seek to recover financial losses for your sports injury, you’ll want to choose the right attorney to represent you. You should be looking for an attorney with experience in sports injuries given the difficulty there is in proving negligence or recklessness from another athlete.
Gore and Kuperman have 35 years of experience in personal injury cases, including sports injuries. Our team includes experts, such as nurses, to help defend and prove your case.
We’re local residents of northern Virginia and are well versed in the local laws. This breadth of knowledge and experience in the area can greatly benefit you. We work with our clients the way they need us to. We can meet with you in person at our office, whatever is most convenient for you.
Our team will make finances clear to you, so you know what to expect throughout the process. We’ll counsel you before negotiating your settlement to ensure you receive a just decision in your case.
If you’re ready to start the discussion about your sports injury, contact us at 703-385-7300.
This blog post is not legal advice, nor is it intended to be used as such. Specific case facts should be discussed with an attorney.