If you’re a parent who has children that play sports, you know that there are always injury risks. Kids get hurt all the time playing football, basketball, soccer, hockey and many other sports. There’s just an inherent risk to these physical games. Injuries even happen in non-contact sports.
But what if your child gets injured while playing? It could be very expensive for them to get the medical treatment that they need. Can you sue the school, the coach or the sports program due to the injury?
There likely needs to be a form of negligence
Most of the time, sports programs will have parents sign waivers. These waivers acknowledge that injuries are possible when children are participating in physical activities. If you signed a waiver, that may remove some of your ability to seek compensation for many of the most common injuries that happen while kids are playing sports.
However, if there’s an element of negligence involved, then you may be able to seek compensation for your child’s injuries and other losses. For instance, maybe your child complained that their football pads were faulty, and then they suffered an injury because the coach did nothing. Improper equipment is a common complaint after serious injuries.
Or, maybe your child’s injury should’ve been avoidable, but he or she was not taught the proper techniques to stay safe and healthy. Perhaps it was clear that a child was struggling with dehydration or overexertion, and a coach kept pushing them to keep going.
These are just a few examples of how avoidable injuries may happen. When there are aggravating issues like this, parents may be able to seek compensation. Be sure you understand all the legal options at your disposal.