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Sports Injury Attorneys in Louisville, Kentucky

According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), nearly three out of every four children in the U.S. participate in sports from a young age, generally six years old. Many participate in organized sports outside of a school environment, sponsored by an independent organization, and many also participate in school sports. Wherever these sporting events are held, it is certainly possible that injuries can occur.

If a child is injured while participating in a sporting match, the parents will likely have to use their health insurance to cover any medical expenses—but insurance policies rarely cover all the expenses, and the expenses can range beyond just wrapping up a laceration. The child participant may also experience pain and suffering, perhaps even mental anguish. Who will pay for these “damages,” as they are called in legal terms? Someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or use of excessive force may open up the possibility of an insurance claim against that person or entity, or even a personal injury lawsuit.

As soon as you or your child has been injured while participating in sports in or around Louisville, Kentucky, contact the sports injury attorneys at Slechter Law Firm, PLLC. The firm’s husband and wife team, Mr. and Mrs. Slechter, will listen to your story of what happened, assess responsibility, and advise you of your options going forward, whether that’s filing an insurance claim against the other party or initiating a personal injury lawsuit. Contact the team today to set up a consultation.

Participation and Safety in Public School Sports

Kentucky takes steps to minimize sports injuries at school. The state requires each interscholastic coach to complete a sports safety course. Each interscholastic coach is required to complete training on how to recognize the symptoms of a concussion and how to seek proper medical treatment for a person suspected of having a concussion. Concussed players must be removed from the sporting event.

In addition, coaches in Kentucky must learn CPR and the use of AED machines (defibrillators), EpiPen (epinephrine) administration for serious allergic reactions, and tactics for dealing with serious falls or hits.

Hurt While Playing Sports?

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Common Injuries in Youth Sports

When your child is participating at school or in independently organized sports such as Little League, Pop Warner, or a youth soccer league, several injuries are common. The list includes but is not limited to:

Muscle Strains: These involve injuries to a muscle or band of tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone.
Muscle Sprains: These involve a stretch or a tear in a ligament. In youth sports, they most often occur in the ankle.
Dislocated Joints: These involve dislocated fingers, shoulders, kneecaps, and shoulder separations, often the result of falls or hits in contact sports. Protective gear should be worn in some sports.
Heat-Related Injuries: Dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke can occur when events are being held outdoors in hot weather. Make sure your child athlete stays hydrated while preparing for and participating in sporting events.
Shin Splints: Common among runners and dancers, shin splints are characterized by pain in the shins.
Torn ACL: This results from a sudden change in direction or sudden stops but are more common in high school and college sports rather than youth leagues for younger children.
Concussions: Concussions result from a blow to the head and can lead to permanent brain damage if untreated. Pop Warner, in fact, was sued in 2016 because two players developed CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, the result of concussions.

Determining Liability

Public schools, being run by government entities, are generally immune from lawsuits under the principle of sovereign immunity, though lawsuits may be allowed under certain circumstances. Additionally, in most youth sports programs, parents are required to sign a waiver of liability. Legal action therefore must usually be based on factors such as negligence, defective sporting equipment, or even premises liability.

Coaches or supervisors of the child athlete might also be liable if they:

Instruct their players to use excessive force in the game.
Physically assault a student or sexually harass them.
Fail to treat an athlete’s injuries or call for medical help if the child is hurt or falls ill during a match or a practice.
Push a child beyond acceptable limits while training them.

Possible Damages Available

If you do prevail in a personal injury lawsuit for your own injuries or your child’s, you can generally recover not only for your economic damages—medical and treatment expenses—but also for noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering and perhaps even lost future earnings if the injuries will limit or prevent gainful employment going forward.