You might be able to file a personal injury claim if you were injured in a sports or recreational activity. If your injuries were preventable, but another party failed to provide the proper care to prevent them, that party might be legally responsible for your damages. An insurance claim or lawsuit could hold them accountable for their actions or negligent inaction.
A personal injury lawyer can review your case for free and explain your next steps. They also can assess if you can file a claim or lawsuit and hold an individual, organization, property owner, or another party liable for your injuries and expenses.
When Can an Injured Party File a Personal Injury Claim?
Generally, if someone suffers an injury because of someone else’s carelessness or recklessness, they can pursue compensation through an injury insurance claim or lawsuit. When someone’s carelessness or recklessness causes an incident and injuries, it is negligence.
In a sports or recreational setting, negligence could occur due to:
- Another participant’s malicious or reckless behavior
- Premises liability because the property owner did not maintain the area
- Negligence from the league or others tasked with ensuring participants’ safety
- Manufacturers of defective equipment or products
- Unqualified or careless coaches and trainers
If another’s carelessness injured you while participating in a sports league or recreational activity, you might have a case against the negligent party. Most personal injury attorneys provide free consultations so you can discuss your options and case facts with a law firm today.
For a free legal consultation, call,
(888) 585-2188
What Do I Need to Show to Hold Another Party Liable for My Sports Injury?
Not all sports injuries will support a personal injury claim. Many sports and other recreational activities have some level of injury risk. When you participate in them, you accept this risk. For example, knee injuries are a common risk of playing soccer.
However, some circumstances occur because of negligence, not a normal risk inherent in the activity. For example, if you fell because of a hole in a poorly maintained field, you might have a case against the property owner.
Whether you might have a case to hold another party liable for your injuries, expenses, and losses will depend on the case facts. You must have evidence of negligence and prove the accused party’s carelessness or recklessness caused your injuries. Showing negligence requires:
- Documenting the at-fault party owed you a certain duty of care
- Showing they breached the duty
- Tying their breach to the incident and your injuries
- Gathering documents showing your injuries, expenses, and losses
What If I Signed a Waiver for the Sport or Recreational Activity?
Many people think they cannot sue after a negligence accident occurs because they signed a waiver when they signed up for the league or activity. This is not always true. While a release might protect the organization or company in some respects, this is not always true. To learn about your rights even after signing a waiver, your attorney will want to:
- Carefully review the waiver
- Understand when, why, and how it was signed
- Investigate the negligence and details of your case
Waivers generally protect organizers from injuries inherent in activities. They do not prevent victims from seeking and recovering damages for preventable injuries based on negligence. However, waivers also complicate these cases. If you signed a waiver, you want to have an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side.
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Do I Need a Lawyer to Handle My Sports Personal Injury Case?
While some people handle their claims on their own, holding an agency, property owner, organization, or individual accountable in these cases is challenging. Having a lawyer and legal team handling the process and representing your best interests can only help your case.
If you hire a legal team, you will not need to understand when you can pursue compensation or what it takes to hold a negligent party accountable. Your attorney will assess your case and take the necessary steps.
Personal injury lawyers representing those hurt in sports or recreational activities typically work based on contingency. They do not ask their clients to pay upfront fees. Instead, they receive a portion of the financial recovery secured in the case. The payout covers their attorney’s fees. If there is no payout, they will not receive these fees.
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What Can I Recover in an Injury Claim Based on My Sports or Recreational Activity Injury?
Many people want to know how much their case might be worth. This depends greatly on the injuries, expenses, and losses endured. There is no way to know without first identifying and documenting these costs. Your recoverable damages play a key role in how much your case is worth.
Each case has its own set of recoverable damages. However, some common types of expenses and losses include:
- Medical bills, current and future
- Related care and support costs
- Income losses because of time missed at work
- Reduced ability to earn due to lasting injuries
- Related expenses
- Pain and suffering
Your lawyer will gather documentation of your damages, valuing the case and seeking fair compensation based on the evidence they uncover. Most victims with a strong negligence case negotiate settlements out of court. Only occasionally does a personal injury case require going to trial. Your lawyer will help you understand if this might become necessary in your case.
Discuss Your Legal Options With Our Legal Team for Free
Jenner Law offers free case consultations for those who suffered injuries because of someone else’s negligence. We want to discuss your options and assess your case after your sports or recreational activity injury. We can tell you if you can file a personal injury claim if you got hurt. You can connect with our team and let us review your case for free.
Contact us on the phone or by completing our online contact form today.
Call or text (888) 585-2188 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form