Injuries are part and parcel of sports, and we account for the fact that a sporting accident can happen at any time. However, you shouldn’t have to accept unnecessary pain and suffering that only happened if someone else was negligent. Our guide to sports injury claims explains when you have the right to seek compensation for an accident in a public place or whilst injured in a sporting activity.
You’ll be well informed on when you are able to make a personal injury claim and how long you have to start legal action. Providing sufficient evidence is key to a successful case, so we also cover forms of proof that could highlight why your sports injury compensation claim is valid. While it isn’t possible to say exactly how much compensation you would receive if your claim wins, we discuss what a payout can cover and how compensation is calculated.
Additionally, you may wonder how easy it would be to claim if you have a valid case. Read through to the end of this guide to learn how the public liability solicitors from our panel can make sure the sports injury claim process runs as smoothly as possible on a No Win No Fee basis.
Further to this guide, you can access support and free advice by contacting our helpful advisors. You can also find out whether you have a valid case by doing so. Just choose any of these options:
- Call 0333 000 0729.
- Go online to contact us and make a query.
- Click on the live support tab at the foot of this page.
Select A Section
- What Are Sports Injury Claims?
- Examples Of Sporting Accidents
- What Types Of Evidence Are Needed For Sports Injury Claims?
- How Much Could I Claim For A Sports Injury?
- Could I Make A Sports Injury Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis?
What Are Sports Injury Claims?
Sports injury claims could come as the result of an accident suffered while taking part in a sporting event or practice session held in a public place. The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 sets out a legal duty of care for those in charge of (who occupy) public places. This duty requires them to take measures that keep visitors reasonably safe from harm while on the premises.
Such steps can include completing risk assessments, removing or signposting hazards, or replacing faulty equipment. It may be possible to start a public liability claim if the person or group responsible for the space fails to take these steps and you become injured.
It is also possible that you become injured due to the conduct of someone else playing a sport, such as an opponent. The law recognises a degree of risk in all competitive sports, but a claim can still be made, although such a claim will turn heavily on the facts of the case.
The eligibility criteria to bring a sports injury claim are that:
- A third party owed you a duty of care.
- They failed to meet this duty.
- Their breached duty led to physical and/or mental harm.
Call us today if you suffered a preventable injury that you think was the fault of someone else while playing sports. We offer a free case assessment to see whether you can claim compensation.
Time Limits For Sports Injury Claims
According to the Limitation Act 1980, sports injury claims must typically begin within three years of the sports accident occurring. While this is the likely time limit to file a personal injury claim, some cases may call for an exception to be made.
For example, a person who was under 18 years old when the incident happened or who lacks the mental capacity to claim will face a different time frame for starting their case.
To get more information on the public liability claim time limit, just call today or reach out to us online.
Examples Of Sporting Accidents
Sports take place in many different locations, from a council-run pitch or sports centre to a privately owned field or facility. With that in mind, the nature of an accident can vary significantly. Any case with the common theme of an occupier’s breach of duty leading to a harmful accident could be the basis of a sports injury compensation claim.
The following are all examples of situations that could prompt someone to make a public liability claim:
- Due to inadequate inspection of a cricket pitch by a local cricket club, a significant amount of glass on the outfield is missed. When a player falls onto the glass, they suffer deep lacerations and a blood infection.
- The owner of an indoor badminton court cleans the floors, leaving standing water and slippery areas. Instead of closing off the court or providing warnings, they allow customers to play. One player slips on the wet floor and suffers a broken ankle, as well as a back injury.
- There is a defect in an astroturf indoor football pitch that the management of the facilities knew about but failed to fix. This defect caused a player to trip, banging their head on the wall, resulting in a serious head injury and psychological trauma.
Being Injured By An Opponent Whilst Playing Sport
We touched early upon the duty owed by a fellow player in competitive sport. For this duty to be breached there usually must be a reckless disregard for a fellow contestant’s safety. A mistimed tackle in a competitive football match would likely not qualify for this, but a tackle so bad that it was reckless could.
Each case of this nature will be very fact specific, and even if a duty of care is breached, there must be a way of being paid the compensation at the end of the claim. This will usually be by an insurer so investigations about how the claim will be paid will also need to be done.
Whether your accident caused life changing injuries or less significant pain, you have the right to try to claim if your case is eligible. You can find out if you can claim, or ask about sports injury claims more generally, by calling us today.
What Types Of Evidence Are Needed For Sports Injury Claims?
The success of sports injury claims often depends on the claimant meeting the eligibility criteria we discussed previously. Those criteria must be proven, so evidence plays an important role in the personal injury claims process. Forms of evidence you could gather include:
- Footage showing how the injury occurred, either from CCTV or from a personal device.
- Images that show the scene and any visible injuries sustained.
- Medical records that highlight the extent of injuries suffered and medical treatment required. You can request a copy of your health records from your healthcare provider.
- A copy of the entry made in the facility’s accident book.
- Witness contact details so witness statements can be collected at a later date.
Claimants who pursue compensation with the help of expert sports injury solicitors from our panel can instruct a solicitor to help them gather evidence. Just call the number above to find out if you are eligible to claim.
How Much Could I Claim For A Sports Injury?
It’s understandable to think about how much compensation you might get before you consider if a personal injury claim is worthwhile. Although there is no guaranteed payout, we can say that compensation can address more than just your sports injury.
A payout can consist of up to two parts, known as heads of loss. The main head is called general damages and accounts for physical pain and/or psychological damage caused by injuries sustained in an accident.
Those calculating general damages might consider medical evidence along with the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document features guideline compensation brackets for various injuries at different severity levels.
Compensation Table
Our table takes figures from the JCG to show some guideline compensation amounts for different injuries. The first line is not from the JCG. All figures only act as a guide.
| INJURY | SEVERITY | COMPENSATION | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries Plus Significant Financial Losses | Severe | Up to £1,000,000+ | Compensation reflecting numerous injuries, in addition to out-of-pocket expenses such as medical fees, travel costs or invoices for home adaptation. |
| Head | Very Severe (i) | £344,150 to £493,000 | Cases where although there may be some ability to follow basic commands, the claimant's severe cognitive and physical disabilities require full time nursing. |
| Moderate (ii) | £110,720 to £183,190 | A moderate-to-modest deficit in intellect and the ability to work is greatly reduced, if not removed. | |
| Back | Severe (i) | £111,150 to £196,450 | The most severe injuries involving spinal cord and nerve root damage, with severe pain and disability. |
| Knee | Severe (i) | £85,100 to £117,410 | A serious knee injury causing issues including joint disruption and considerable pain. |
| Ankle | Very Severe | £61,090 to £85,070 | Injuries in this bracket are limited and unusual. For example, a transmalleolar fracture with extensive soft tissue damage. |
| Wrist | Complete Loss of Function | £58,710 to £73,050 | Injuries that cause a complete loss of wrist function. |
| Foot | Moderate | £16,770 to £30,500 | Displaced fractures that lead to permanent deformity and ongoing symptoms. |
| Scarring | Body (Other Than Face) | £9,560 to £27,740 | Numerous noticeable laceration scars, or one disfiguring scar, to the back, chest, leg(s) arm(s) or hand(s). |
| Shoulder | Serious | £15,580 to £23,430 | Shoulder dislocation and damage to the lower brachial plexus, causing shoulder and neck pain. |
Can I Get Compensation For Financial Losses?
While general damages form the primary head of claim, it doesn’t necessarily form the majority of a payout. This is because an injured person’s financial hardship caused by a sporting injury could be much more significant than the injury itself. A second head of loss called special damages can help cover expenses that would not have been an issue if the accident had never happened.
This can include:
- A loss of earnings if the injuries cause a significant absence from work.
- Medical bills.
- Travel expenses.
- Mobility aids.
You can discuss what you might be able to claim for when you call our free helpline to discuss payouts for sports injury compensation claims.
Could I Make A Sports Injury Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis?
Our panel includes expert sports injury solicitors with years of combined experience. They have the know-how to lead you confidently and competently through the claim process, and the dedication to push for the best possible settlement.
If you’re interested in claiming compensation but are worried about legal fees, the Conditional Fee Agreement offered by our panel’s personal injury solicitors could be ideal for you.
The terms mean that you do not pay for the solicitor’s input either upfront or as the case progresses. Given that it is a type of No Win No Fee agreement, you would not pay for their work at all if the case fails.
If you win the case and are awarded compensation, a minor percentage would go to the solicitor as their success fee. Our panel’s solicitors are always open and transparent about what this success fee would look like. Additionally, The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 sets out a cap to the percentage that can be set aside for a solicitor.
Contact Us Today
You don’t have to simply accept it if a sporting accident that caused you harm was someone else’s fault. Call today, explain what happened, and one of our advisors can let you know whether you have reasonable grounds to claim compensation. If you do, you can be put in touch with a sports injury claims solicitor from our panel for professional guidance.
There’s no need to wait. Get started today by either:
- Calling 0333 000 0729.
- Using our web form to contact us online.
- Asking an advisor for support through the live support tab.
Further Information On Personal Injury Claims
Here are some further guides from our collection:
- Our guide on claiming against a council for a public place injury.
- Find out whether it’s possible to claim for an accident in a garden through this guide.
- We discuss the cost of making a public liability claim and how a No Win No Fee deal can help.
These resources could also prove helpful:
- GOV.UK – See how to request CCTV footage of an incident.
- Also from GOV.UK is this Statutory Sick Pay guidance.
- Some NHS guidance on when to call 999 for emergency support.
Thank you for reading this guide to sports injury claims. If you need any guidance at all, please call today, and we’ll be there for support.
