Sports Injury Lawyer

Recreational sports such as basketball, football, and swimming are great ways to gain self-esteem, be part of a team, and learn the value of commitment. Involvement in team sports can help kids and adults develop lasting friendships and lifelong positive habits. However, participation in physical sports can also place young athletes at significant risk for serious injuries.

According to sports injury statistics published by the Stanford University Health System, more than 3.5 million children and teens under the age of 14 suffer sports-related injuries every year. More than 775,000 of these injuries require treatment from hospital emergency rooms. 

If your child was injured in a sports-related incident, you might be overwhelmed by unexpected medical expenses. If you’ve been forced to miss time at work to care for your child, you may be feeling the added strain of reductions in your take-home pay. You might be wondering how you’ll make ends meet.

If your child’s sports-related injury was the result of someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to pursue compensation on their behalf in a personal injury claim. The dedicated sports injury lawyers of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. can help. Contact us today to learn more in a free initial consultation with an attentive attorney.

Common Sports Injuries

Young athletes commonly suffer the following types of injuries as a result of sports-related accidents: 

• Head trauma – Sports and recreational accidents cause roughly 21 percent of traumatic brain injuries among children in the U.S. Nearly 50 percent of sports-related head injuries are the result of bicycling, skateboarding, or skating accidents.

• Broken and dislocated bones – Blunt-force impact with fixed objects, flying or falling objects, or other players can result in fractured or dislocated bones.

• Anterior cruciate ligament tears – One of the most common sporting injuries across age groups is an ACL tear, a partial or complete tear in the anterior cruciate ligament, which connects the thighbone to the shinbone.

• Strains and sprains – Strains and sprains of muscles and other soft tissues are the most common injuries in sports by a significant margin.

• Fall injuries – Slip-and-falls and trip-and-falls are common in high-impact or high-speed sports. These injuries can result in trauma to the skeleton, skin, soft tissues, and other vulnerable body parts.

• Overexertion injuries – When athletes are explicitly or implicitly encouraged to exert themselves past the point of exhaustion, they can sustain overexertion injuries such as heat stroke, pulled muscles, or repetitive motion strains.

Who Is Liable for Your Sports Injury?

Most sports and recreational activities come with inherent risks, so other parties are not necessarily liable for resulting injuries unless there was negligence in sports injuries. A sports injury lawyer can review your athletic injury and determine if one or more of the following parties may be liable for it:

• Instructors or coaches – A sporting instructor or coach could be liable if they encourage players to engage in unsafe behavior, fail to withdraw players from games after injuries, or fail to consult healthcare professionals in emergency situations.

• Schools and sports leagues – A school or sporting league could be responsible if it fails to properly screen instructors or coaches, knowingly hires unqualified instructors or coachers, or encourages unsafe sporting practices. It could also be liable if it fails to provide the proper safety equipment required for the sport.

• Gym owners or managers – The owner or manager of a gym could be liable if they fail to provide safe and well-maintained equipment for athletes to use during practice or training.

• Equipment manufacturers – The manufacturer of a defective piece of sporting equipment might be responsible for injuries if it designed, manufactured, or sold equipment with dangerous flaws or inadequate safety warnings.

• Other athletes – Another athlete could be liable for sporting injuries if they break the rules, use excessive force against others, or intentionally cause others harm.

Potential Compensation from an Athletic Injury

If you or your child was seriously injured in an athletic accident, you could file a claim to recover compensation for:

• Medical expenses – The costs of any previous, ongoing, or projected future medical treatment needed to treat the injuries. This includes the costs of things like ambulance rides, hospital stays, and doctors’ visits.

• Incidental costs – Any out-of-pocket costs you incur for incidental expenses related to your child’s injury, such as the costs of transportation to and from medical appointments.

• Lost wages – The value of any reductions in your take-home pay from missed time at work while you stay home to help your child recover from their injuries.

• Lost earning potential – The loss of your child’s future earning potential if they suffer permanent injuries that could hinder their ability to earn a living. 

• Pain and suffering – The subjective costs of the physical pain, emotional anguish, and psychological suffering your child endures due to their sports-related injuries.

How Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard Can Help

When your child sustains a serious and unexpected sporting injury, the aftermath can feel shocking and overwhelming. The compassionate attorneys of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. are here to help you through each stage of the ensuing claims process by:

• Explaining your legal rights and the recovery options available to you

• Conducting a thorough and independent investigation into the accident to uncover critical evidence and determine who was likely at fault

• Managing important legal documents and deadlines on your behalf to ensure your case isn’t derailed by avoidable administrative errors

• Communicating with other individuals, insurance companies, and attorneys on your behalf so you can avoid any statements that may damage your case

• Negotiating aggressively during insurance settlement talks to maximize the value of your take-home compensation

• Taking your case to trial, if necessary, and providing comprehensive legal representation through every stage of your personal injury lawsuit

Contact Us Today

Our award-winning team at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. has recovered more than $2 billion for deserving Illinois clients just like you. Our trusted attorneys have more than 40 years of experience standing up for the rights of injured victims and their loved ones. We’re prepared to place our considerable resources and skills at your disposal and fight for the compensation you deserve.

To learn more about how we can support your Illinois sports injury case, contact us today to get started with your free initial case review.