Professional and non-professional athletes alike are exposed to some form of sports-related injuries risk each time they play. Should the individual suffer an injury, he or she should know if another entity is responsible for it.
In August 2013, thousands of former National Football League (NFL) players and their families reached a settlement with the NFL in regard to concussion-related payments. The NFL will be required to pay $765 million for medical exams, concussion-related compensation, medical research for retired NFL players and their families and litigation expenses.
Sports-Related Injuries and Cases
In a similar case, a basketball player at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, PA, collapsed and died two years ago at a late night practice. His parents sued the school and the NCAA for not screening their son for the sickle-cell condition and for not providing adequate treatment after he collapsed. Though the student, Jack Hill, Jr., signed paperwork noting that he did not have the disease, the suit alleges that the defendants did not ask Hill if he had ever been tested and alleges that the school and the NCAA did not have sufficient screening and safety procedures in place.
In August 2013, the parents of a football player at Frostburg State University in Maryland sued after their son, Derek Sheely, died following his second concussion. In August 2011, Sheely reported having a headache, then walked off the field and collapsed. According to the lawsuit, he fell into a coma then died six days later. According to the wrongful-death lawsuit prior to Sheely’s death, he had not been observed for a concussion nor was his helmet checked to see if it fit correctly. The lawsuit names the head coach, helmet-maker and the NCAA as defendants.
Attorney Bruce Ginsburg Esq. of Ginsburg & Associates in Philadelphia, PA, has noticed a steady rise of interest in this field. “As kids and athletes become seriously injured, more questions are being asked as to why this occurred and what was the alternative,” Ginsburg said. “Our firm fields calls daily from people who are seriously injured from car and bus crashes, injuries on property, work related injuries as well as nursing home and professional negligence injuries,” Ginsburg added. “More and more, calls are beginning to come in relating to sports injuries as there is greater public awareness.”
Ginsburg & Associates deals with serious injuries cases, which includes head injuries, brain injuries, back and neck injuries, spinal cord injuries, internal organ damage, dismemberment and broken bones.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children, approximately 1.35 million young people suffered from sports-related injuries last year that was serious enough to warrant a visit to a hospital emergency room. The group analyzed data from 2011-2012 and it found that football resulted in the highest number of pediatric injuries and the highest concussion rate.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children, approximately 1.35 million young people suffered from sports-related injuries last year
For a consultation on any possible sports-related injuries, please contact Ginsburg & Associates in Philadelphia at (215) 564-4400.
