Florida Contact Sports
Injuries

Contact Sports Injury Risks

For any physical activity, there is always an element of risk. However, contact sports such as football, boxing, and basketball carry an increased risk of personal injury compared to many other activities.
 
In fact, according to a CDC report, in one year, there were roughly 712,000 football injuries, 851,000 basketball injuries, and 545,000 injuries from playing soccer. The report further broke down contact sports injuries by age type. According to the report, the majority of football injuries occurred to children between 5 – 14 years old at 375,000 injuries, with another 243,000 football injuries occurring among people between 15 – 24 years old. Meanwhile, the top cause of contact sports injuries among the 15 – 24 demographic was basketball at 343,000 injuries.
 
When players in the field are colliding with one another at top speed, injuries are all too common. Additional factors that can lead to injury include field conditions, such as wet or muddy ground, extreme heat/cold, or the presence of uneven ground.
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Broken Bones

Broken bones are a frequent injury type for many contact sports. People running at full speed making contact with an obstacle (such as another person) can easily break bones on impact.

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Ligament Damage

A common football injury type, ligament damage such as meniscal tears or ACL/PCL tears can be permanently debilitating if severe enough.

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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Impacts to the head that occur when a contact sport player is tackled or slips and falls on the field can have far-reaching consequences. If an impact is severe enough, it can cause a traumatic brain injury—which is difficult to diagnose on the field. This, in turn, leads to critically-injured players attempting to continue the game instead of seeking proper treatment.

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Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs)

One of the worst possible contact sports injuries a player can suffer is a spinal cord injury. The nature and severity of an SCI can vary depending on the circumstances involved. For example, a football injury where the player’s neck/head impacts the ground at an odd angle may result in a cervical spinal cord injury, which is one of the most severe and limiting forms of SCI.

Preventing Contact Sports Injuries in Florida

When it comes to contact sports injury, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Some basic measures to prevent contact sports injuries include:

  • Wearing all applicable safety gear—including helmets, eyewear, padding, shoes, wrist/elbow guards, etc.
  • Setting safety guidelines—particularly ones to govern physical contact such as how to tackle someone in football or to define illegal grabs/holds.
  • Having one or more people to operate in a supervisory role—such as referees to call out dangerous actions and enforce rules.
  • Holding regular health checkups for players of organized contact sports—both before and after a game.
  • Not letting players back onto the field until after being checked and cleared by a medical professional following a potential injury.

While following these safety guidelines won’t stop contact sports injuries entirely, doing so can help to minimize risk and lessen the severity of injuries.

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What to Do Following Florida Contact Sports Injuries

Immediately following a severe injury from contact sport-related activities, it is vital to seek appropriate medical treatment. The most important thing is to limit the impact of the sports injury. After the injury has been stabilized, you can focus on assigning fault and seeking compensation.
 
However, pursuing personal injury claims related to contact sports can be complicated. Who is responsible for the injury? Is it the other player (or players) involved in the game? A coach who sent a potentially injured player back into the field? A team manager who failed to arrange for proper medical care? The facility owner who neglected basic maintenance for the playing field?
 
To help you with your claim, it’s important to contact a Florida personal injury attorney who has experience with investigating contact sports injury cases. A personal injury lawyer can help you investigate the details of your claim so you have a better chance of receiving the compensation you need to focus on recovering from your injuries.
 
Are you ready to pursue a claim regarding a contact sports injury? Reach out to an experienced personal injury lawyer by filling out the form on this page.
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