The excitement around the London 2012 Olympics is encouraging more and more people to take part in sport in the UK. But increased participation means a rise in the number of serious sporting injuries.
Recent figures from Sport England show that just over 6.9 million adults played sport three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes between April 2010 and April 2011. The numbers show that since 2008 participant numbers in athletics have increased across every age group in England. The 16-34 age group is reportedly the most active, with over one million participants, while the overall figure stands at 1,875,000.
The unfortunate downside to this increased participation is that more people are becoming susceptible to sporting injuries, which means that accident claims for such injuries are also on the rise.
Forced retirement
The latest annual injury audit for top-flight rugby union states that 1.6 injuries per match, on average, were reported last season. Former rugby union player, Thom Evans, was forced to retire at the age of just 24 when he collided with an opposition player in February 2010. As a result of the tackle, Evans’ vertebra was so badly misaligned that he was just one millimetre from paralysis.
A study by Rugby’s Super League sponsors Engage found that a dislocated shoulder is the most common injury sustained in rugby league, followed by ligament damage, dead legs and medial cruciate ligament tears.
Compound fractures
Sport England’s data shows that more than two million people play football in England. Perhaps the most high-profile injury case occurred in April 1996 when Coventry City’s David Busst sustained horrific compound fractures to both the tibia and fibula of his right leg. He required 26 operations and never played football at a competitive level again.
Incidents such as these not only ruin people’s sporting careers, they also leave many unable to continue with their daily lives as normal and some have grounds to seek compensation if the injury is someone else’s fault.
A spokesperson for injury law specialists First4Lawyers said: “The last thing we at First4Lawyers want to do is to deter people from playing sport.
“But there are times when the personal health and wellbeing of an individual is compromised while partaking in sport, either through pure chance, as a result of the reckless actions of others, or when the relevant health and safety regulations are overlooked.
“Anybody who does suffer a sport-related injury or is involved in an accident through no fault of their own should contact us at First4Lawyers to see whether any legal action can be taken.”
Negligence and unsportsmanlike behaviour are the most common causes for personal injury claims in the sporting world. If a player does get seriously injured as a result of negligence or a dangerous challenge, then he or she will have reasonable grounds for a claim if it results in significant trauma and loss of earnings.
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