Athletic activity can be an enjoyable, rewarding, and beneficial form of exercise, but it also involves certain risks. Countless people are injured yearly while participating in various games and activities, and the victims in many of these cases are children. If you or someone you love has been hurt due to the negligence or carelessness of a coach, league, educational institution, or other entity, the Virginia athletic injury lawyers of CHASENBOSCOLO could help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that collision or contact sports have the highest injury rates. Each year, football, basketball, baseball, and soccer are responsible for approximately 80 percent of all sports-related emergency room visits for children between five and fourteen years of age. According to the CDC, 2.403 million sports- and recreation-related injuries were caused by falls, 1.449 million injuries involved overexertion, 1.321 million injuries resulted from a victim struck by or against a person or object and 1.054 million involved transportation.
The CDC stated that these injuries included 4.262 million strains or sprains, 2.055 million fractures, 1.953 million superficial wounds or contusions, 1.044 million open wounds, 460,000 traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and 296,000 dislocations. By body regions involved, 4.326 million injuries were to the lower extremities, 3.122 million to the upper extremities, 1.691 million to the head and neck, and 1.037 million to the trunk.
If you or your loved one have suffered any athletic injury in Virginia, you have the right to seek compensation if you were hurt due to negligence by another person or party. CHASENBOSCOLO is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call (703) 538-1138 or contact us online to set up a free consultation.
Do I Need An Athletic Injury Lawyer?
Many people believe that participating in any sport means that a person is assuming a certain amount of risk that will make it impossible for them to recover compensation. Additionally, parents believe that the consent forms they signed allowing their children to participate in organized sports activities effectively waive liability.
The truth is that coaches and organizations may be responsible for certain decisions or actions that place children at risk of suffering sports injuries. Other cases could involve defective equipment. It is, therefore, important to hire a knowledgeable attorney who can conduct their own independent investigation. A lawyer will be able to determine how an injury happened, what caused the injury, and what parties may be liable.
A sports injury may result in a lifetime of medical bills, and some insurance companies will offer lump-sum settlements to victims to quickly resolve their cases. An experienced attorney can negotiate a fair settlement for you, as most insurance offers do not provide victims with enough to cover future care costs.
Why Choose CHASENBOSCOLO To Handle My Case?
CHASENBOSCOLO has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for thousands of clients since our firm was founded in 1986. We provide a No Fee Guarantee ® so you pay nothing until you obtain a financial award. What’s more, CHASENBOSCOLO has handled many types of sports injury cases in Virginia. Our clients have included members of several professional sports organizations. We have helped members of the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics, and D.C. United.
Among the accolades our lawyers have been awarded, attorney Barry M. Chasen received an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a peer rating denoting the highest level of professional excellence. Attorney Benjamin T. Boscolo is a member of the American Association for Justice, the District of Columbia Bar Association, and the Prince George’s County Association.
The legal team at CHASENBOSCOLO will pursue a settlement that provides for all of your needs following a sports injury. Our firm will hold the negligent party accountable when the negotiation process stalls or is unproductive.
Types of Athletic Injury Cases We Handle
People participating in athletic activities could suffer any one of several possible injuries. Some of the most common kinds of injuries associated with sports include, but are not limited to:
- Sprains
- Muscle Strains
- Neck Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
- Head Injuries
- Concussions
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Paralysis
- Soft Tissue Injuries
- Nerve Damage
- Internal Organ Damage
- Lacerations
- Fractures
- Growth Plate Injuries
- Heat Stroke
Liability for these types of injuries can be very complex. Sometimes, a coach, school district, or another organizing body could be liable. For example, athletic injuries may have resulted from a coach allowing an athlete to play despite signs of injuries, from another player intentionally attempting to cause injury, or from a failure to diagnose an injured player properly. Furthermore, cases involving defective equipment may make the manufacturers liable.
Victims in these cases often incur injuries that require thousands of dollars in medical care, and some may need full-time assistance with their daily activities. Individuals cannot return to work in certain cases due to their injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Athletic Injuries
When should I see a doctor about an athletic injury?
You should always seek medical care as soon as possible whenever you believe you may have suffered an athletic injury. Do not wait for an injury to heal on its own. Get proper treatment for an injury as soon as possible. Remember that many serious injuries involve delayed symptoms, and an insurance company will often use a person’s failure to seek treatment as evidence that the injuries were not that serious.
What should I do if my child suffers a concussion during an athletic event?
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that can still be serious. According to the Brain Injury Research Institute, up to 3.8 million young athletes suffer concussions. Children who have suffered concussions should be removed from sports activities and given several days of rest before resuming participation. Do not try to “play through” concussions, as you may be at risk of a more serious brain injury. You should seek medical treatment for more serious concussions.
Athletic Injury Statistics
The National Safety Council estimates that 3.6 million people were treated in emergency departments (EDs) for sports and recreational injuries in 2022 alone. This number represents a 12 percent increase over 2021, which in turn saw a 20 percent increase over 2020. The latter year was marked by a COVID-related reduction in sports participation and, therefore, sports-related injuries. Children aged 5-14 accounted for 1.19 million of these injuries, or about a third of the total. Those aged 15-24 accounted for another 900,000.
The leading causes of injury were:
- Exercise and exercise equipment (approximately 446,000 ED visits)
- Bicycles and accessories (about 405,000 ED visits)
- Basketball (about 314,000 ED visits)
- Football (approximately 266,000 visits)
- Skateboards, scooters, and hoverboards (about 231,000 ED visits)
U.S. High School Athlete Injuries
According to a recent study published by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS):
- Between 2015 and 2019, more than 15,500 injuries were reported across nearly 6.8 million athletic exposures, with an average of 2.29 injuries per 1,000 exposures.
- The AAOS estimated that more than 5.2 million injuries occurred during this period.
- The sports with the highest injury rates were football (3.96 per 1,000 exposures), girls’ soccer (2.65), and boys’ wrestling (2.36).
- Boys experienced higher injury rates (2.52 per 1,000 exposures) than girls (1.56).
- The most frequent injuries were sprains or strains (36.8 percent) and concussions (21.6 percent).
- Athletic injuries most commonly affected the head or face (24.2 percent), ankles (17.6 percent), and knees (14.1 percent).
- Fractures constituted 3.5 percent of injuries, more common in boys’ sports (4.2 percent) than girls’ (2.0 percent).
- Most injuries resulted in less than one week (39.2 percent) or one to three weeks (34.0 percent) of time off.
- More than one in five injuries had severe implications that lasted for the rest of the season or ended the athlete’s career.
Epidemiology of Adolescent (14 to 21 years) Athlete Injuries
Another year-long study of young athletes aged 14 to 21 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health revealed that:
- In 2019, 40.4 percent of the surveyed athletes suffered an injury, and 39 percent of these injuries affected a previously injured body part.
- The average injury rate among all sports was 2.64 injuries per 1,000 hours of sports activity, with soccer having the highest rate at 7.21.
- Lumbar muscle strains (12.24 percent), ankle sprains (11.98 percent), and bone fractures (9.31 percent) were the most frequent sports injuries.
- Ankles (36.12 percent), knees (19.32 percent), and shoulders (6.47 percent) were the body parts most prone to injuries.
- Of all sports injuries, 59.28 percent happened during practices, while 40.72 percent occurred during or around competitions.
- Factors influencing higher injury rates included extended practice hours, missed warm-ups, substandard sports facilities, younger age, and lack of injury-prevention measures.
Contact an Athletic Injury Attorney in Virginia
If you or a loved one have suffered any athletic injury in Virginia, do not wait to take legal action. You may have only a limited amount of time to act, and an experienced lawyer will work to help you recover all of the compensation you are entitled to.
CHASENBOSCOLO puts the needs of its clients first. Our team of dedicated attorneys can help you achieve the most desirable possible resolution to your case. To discuss your legal questions and concerns, contact us online or today at (703) 538-1138 for a free consultation.
