New York Sports Injuries

When a professional football player gets carted off the field during a Sunday night game or a star basketball player limps off the court during a nationally televised game, seemingly every media reports the incident and videos quickly go viral on social media. However, injuries to professional athletes are only a small portion of the sports-related injuries suffered by millions of athletes, students and casual participants each year in the United States. While many of these injuries are minor, many are quite serious. Such serious injuries include spinal cord injuries. While the most common cause of a spinal cord injury is a car accident, spinal cord injuries also happen to those participating in individual and team sports. Statistically, the highest injury rates are reported in sports that involve contact such as soccer, football, basketball and rugby. However, serious injuries are common to athletes involved in other sports such as baseball, gymnastics, horseback riding, and cheerleading. A serious spinal cord injury could dramatically affect the victim’s life. If you suffered a spinal cord injury in a sports-related accident, it is important that you contact an experienced New York sports injuries lawyer as you may have the right to compensation for medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering through a personal injury claim.

Depending on the type of sport, there are many things that could go wrong and result in an athlete or participant suffering a serious injury such as a spinal cord injury. Examples of common causes of sports injuries include:

• Improper padding or inadequate helmets that result in injuries to the head, neck or back, causing trauma to the spinal cord
• Inadequate training of a coach. If a coach sends an injured player back into a game when the player needed additional medical attention, that player’s injury could become worse.
• Poorly trained coaches or teachers who require athletes, students or participants to do more than they are capable of doing, resulting a serious injury
• Violence during sporting event such as fights between individuals or teams on the field
• Coaching staff allowing athletes to use excessive force for competitive advantage

If you feel that any of these factors contributed to your injury, contact an experienced New York sports injuries lawyer to discuss what took place.

Nowadays, before participating in almost any type of sports activity, athletes are required to sign release forms that purport to release the governing body of the team of legal liability in the event of an injury. Such forms are also common when people use the equipment and facilities at ski resorts, beaches, and bike tracks. However, such forms are not legally binding in all cases. For example, if the terms of the release are unfair or if the actions of the company were grossly negligent or reckless, then the company may still be legally liable for damages. The company may also be liable if the injury occurred due violence during the activity or conduct that is outside the scope of the rules of the game. Because of the complexities involved with filing a claim related to a sports injury, it is important to discuss your case with a sports injuries attorney serving New York.

If you suffered a spinal injury while participating in a sport or recreational activity, discuss the details of how your injury occurred with an experienced sports injuries attorney in New York. The staff at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates has decades of experience winning substantial compensation for injured victims. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.