Injuries acquired in sports can affect people of all ages, in organized and unorganized sports, and of various skill levels. The most common injuries seen are strains and sprains; ligament, tendon, and muscle tears; dislocations; and fractures. More traumatic injuries, such as those to the spinal cord and brain are less common, but still occur.
Sports injuries usually fall into two categories: those resulting from negligence and those resulting from overexertion. An injury caused by negligence can involve a coach or trainer incorrectly instructing, over-training, or not following safety regulations. Faulty equipment may also contribute to negligence injuries. Overexertion injuries are caused by over-training or participating to the point of exhaustion, leading to debilitating injuries to a participant.
Although people of all ages are affected by sports injuries, those most affected are high school, college, and professional athletes. Coaches and trainers are responsible for the instruction of these athletes. Unfortunately, these coaches and trainers may disregard the safety of their athletes in exchange for higher performance. Athletes listen to their coaches and trainers, believing they have their best in mind. If trust is put into an irresponsible or unsafe coach or trainer, the athlete can suffer from debilitating or even career ending injuries.
A coach or trainer’s over-training may lead to exhaustion injuries. Faulty equipment can also harm these athletes. Training and safety equipment, including weights, bars, pads, and guards, may be defective, which can lead to serious injury or death. Athletes who have suffered injuries because of negligence or overexertion caused by over-training may be able to bring a personal injury claim against a coach, trainer, or producer of a defective product.
Collegiate athletes are in especially high risk situations. Although the athletes generate revenue for the school and the organizations they belong to, such as the NCAA and NAIA, they are not employees of the institution and do not receive certain benefits and treatment an employee would receive. These athletes are also students and have been taught to trust and obey their superiors. Unfortunately, coaches and trainers may feel pressure from the school or organization to push their athletes.
This may lead to unsafe procedures in practices and training. Organizations like the NCAA and NAIA exist to facilitate intercollegiate competition and keep this competition fair and safe. Although these organizations acknowledge the responsibility of athletic trainers, coaches, and all others involved in aiding and instructing student athletes, this responsibility is not always fulfilled. Athletes may put their trust into an authority figure, only to end up injured and unable to compete.
Our Columbia personal injury lawyers have helped amateur, high school, college, and pro-athletic prospects recover damages for injuries. We also have experience in assisting college athletes in collecting insurance proceeds from insurance companies who have issued insurance policies to protect their future professional income, as well as insurance companies who provided benefits to injured collegiate athletes through the NCAA and NAIA.