Injuries in both amateur and professional sports are commonplace, though sometimes these incidents are clearly the fault of another person or could have been prevented by the organiser.
Although proving negligence isn’t always straightforward, it’s worth talking through your situation with a specialist injury claims solicitor to determine whether or not you have a valid case.
Securing compensation is crucial to give you access to the right medical support, aid your rehabilitation and physiotherapy and cover any costs incurred throughout the recovery process. The nature of your injury may also affect your wider work and home life and have a detrimental impact on your standard of living and mental health.
All of this needs to be accounted for and evidenced before submitting your injury claim, and that’s where the guidance of a specialist injury solicitor can make a big difference.
What is a sports injury compensation claim?
Put simply, if you or someone close to you has been injured while taking part in sports or during exercise, and the injury was due to someone else’s actions, you could be entitled to receive compensation. The amount that you’re eligible to claim will vary, and this will depend on the severity of the injury, the suffering it’s caused, and the impact on your daily life and routine.
In most sports injury cases, you’ll have three years either from the date of the accident to begin a claim for personal injury compensation. Proceeding as soon as possible gives both you and your legal team the time to assess the full impact of the injury, gather as much evidence as possible, and build a strong case.
When to make a sports injury claim
You’re within your rights to make a claim for any injury from any sport or exercise, provided that the accident that caused the injury either wasn’t your fault or only partially your fault.
While taking part in any sport or exercise does involve inherent risks, that doesn’t mean you consent to negligence in order to take part. Whether you’re playing a game of 5-a-side football at your local sports centre, or using a new piece of equipment at the gym, you have the right to expect a safe environment. If it’s not safe and you’re injured as a result, whether due to faulty equipment, uneven playing surfaces, or even general lack of compliance to health and safety, you have grounds to seek compensation.
Eligible sports injury claims
With over 20 years of dedicated service, our team has secured compensation for a variety of sports-related injuries. Here are some scenarios where you might be entitled to compensation:
- Injuries resulting from negligent coaching or supervision, such as from a personal trainer, referee or physiotherapist.
- Injuries caused by using defective or unmaintained equipment.
- Injuries from aggressive or reckless behaviour during contact sports like football or rugby. This includes dangerous tackles.
- Injuries caused by an assault from another player or spectator.
- Injuries due to poorly maintained pitch, court, or venue. This could be an unsafe playing surface or poor lighting that leads to slips, trips, or collisions.
- Injuries sustained from playing in inappropriate weather conditions that should have led to the cancellation or postponement of the event.
- Injuries occurring because a game official failed to enforce game safety rules effectively.
Regardless of the specific circumstance, if you’ve been injured while playing a sport and the accident was caused by another party’s negligence, it’s likely you’ll be able to claim compensation.
Who you can make a sports injury claim against
When you suffer an injury while playing a sport, the injury claim is generally directed against the insurer of the party that’s responsible for the accident. It’s compulsory for these organisations to have liability insurance that covers incidents of personal injury. The organisation responsible will vary from case to case, but it may be:
- The owner or operator of the premises where your injury occurred.
- Local council if they’re responsible for public sports facilities.
- Organisers of the sporting event.
- Your club or team.
- The leagues or association with which you’re registered.
- Private gym or institution hosting the match or activity.
Whichever party is responsible, they have a legal duty to protect all participants and spectators from harm. If they breach this duty through negligence or inaction, and it leads to an injury, you may be eligible to claim compensation.
The evidence you’ll need to make a sports injury claim
We know that beginning a sports injury compensation claim can be daunting, and knowing where to start is a big part of that. We’re here to make the process simpler, and we’ll support you every step of the way. To build a solid case, we need to understand exactly what happened and how it has affected you. Here are a few details that will help us help you:
- Date and time of the accident
- Description of the injuries: Tell us about the injuries you suffered because of the accident.
- Responsible parties: Who do you think was at fault? Was it a negligent coach, another player, or perhaps poor facility maintenance?
- Evidence: Do you have any written reports of the incident, witness statements, photos, or maybe even video recordings that could support your claim?
- Medical treatment: What medical care have you received, and are there ongoing health issues?
- Impact on your life: How have the injuries affected your daily activities, work, and overall lifestyle? Have you faced any financial losses due to time off work or medical bills because of the injury?
- Adjustments to your living conditions: Have you had to make changes at home to accommodate your recovery?
The more detailed the information you can provide, the better positioned your legal team will be to advise you and maximise your compensation.
Time limit to make a sports injury claim
With the majority of sporting injury claims, there’s a three-year window to start the process. This time limit either starts from the date of the accident or the date the injury is diagnosed by a medical professional. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example:
- If the injured party has limited mental capacity, the three-year limit is lifted and will only be applied in the event that they regain the ability to manage their personal injury claim themselves.
- For injuries resulting from an assault, the claim must be filed within two years instead of three.
- Claims on behalf of children can be started at any point until they reach their 21st birthday.
The compensation you could receive for a sports injury
As with all personal injury claims, the amount you’ll be able to claim for a sports injury will depend on how severe the injury is, its impact on your daily life and routine, as well as any expenses you’ve incurred as a result.
Compensation for a sports injury is calculated by adding up the amounts you are legally entitled to in general and special damages. General damages refer to the pain and suffering caused by the injury, and the amount you’ll receive will be based on figures from the Judicial College Guidelines. To find out what you could receive in general damages for your sports injury, use our compensation calculator.
On top of general damages, you can also claim special damages. Special damages are there to cover any direct costs and losses incurred as a result of your injury, and can include:
- Lost income due to time off work.
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation costs.
- Care expenses, whether professional or provided by friends and relatives.
- Any modifications that need to be made to the home to maintain quality of life.
- Any other costs incurred as a direct result of the injury, including travel costs to treatment appointments.
At Injury Lawyers 4U, we’re dedicated to looking at the full scope of your claim and ensuring you receive the maximum compensation you deserve. Contact us today to discuss your sports injury with our experienced team.
Making a claim as an injured spectator at a sports event
Sporting venues owe the same level of care to those visiting to watch a sporting event as they do to those taking part. That means providing a safe environment that’s free from potential hazards that could cause injury. If you sustain an injury and the reason is the venue’s negligence, whether it’s a slip on a wet floor that hasn’t been signposted, tripping over due to bad lighting, or lack of crowd control, you may have grounds to make a personal injury claim. Here are some of the more common causes of spectator injury:
- Tripping over an uneven surface in a car park or pathway.
- Slipping over due to a spillage in the stand or on property that wasn’t addressed quickly enough.
- Assault by another spectator, particularly in cases where there isn’t enough venue security.
These examples suggest that the venue didn’t do enough to keep you safe. If you find yourself hurt under such conditions, remember, it’s your right to claim compensation. Beyond receiving the necessary financial help with medical bills and covering lost income, spectator injury claims hold sports venues to account and ensure they do better in future to protect everyone who comes to watch.
Can I make a football injury claim?
Football injury claims are particularly common in the UK. Regardless of the level of competition, you may be able to claim compensation if you’ve suffered an injury during a football match or training.
Reckless tackles are certainly a cause for concern, though it could be that your injury was sustained due to the pitch being poorly maintained and dangerous, or that a trainer has given you unprofessional medical attention that has made an injury even worse.
In what other sports are injury claims often made?
Injuries occur in nearly every sport you can think of, and when those injuries happen due to the negligence of someone else then there’s a chance that you could be due compensation.
Claims relating to rugby, motorsport, horse riding, tennis and skiing injury are fairly common, though the list goes on much further than that. Gym injury claims are another area that has grown rapidly in recent years. Again, poor inductions or guidance from a trainer may easily lead to an injury that can have been otherwise prevented.
Next steps
Here at InjuryLawyers4U, we’ve managed thousands of successful claims relating to injuries sustained across a wide range of different sporting activities. If you’re debating whether to find out if you could claim compensation for an injury then why not get in touch with our friendly team for a free, no-obligation consultation.
You can reach us directly on 0333 400 4445 or, if you’d prefer, please feel free to fill in the contact form to arrange a call back at a time that suits you.
