What Parents Should Know About Sports Injuries
When the brisk, cool air of fall arrives, there’s almost nothing more exciting than taking in a high school hockey game. However, for parents across the country, hockey season brings with it the worry of serious injury that can derail their child’s future plans and overall health.
If your child has been injured while playing a high school sport like hockey, then you may be considering filing an injury lawsuit. Unfortunately, as many parents have found out, injury suits involving high school athletes are often dismissed out of hand, leaving parents and their children in a precarious position. Learn more about why a high school sports injury lawsuit might be dismissed and how you can build your case with the help of a Tennessee lawyer.
Schools Protect Themselves
The most common reason that high school sports injury lawsuits face frequent dismissal is because of the nature of high school sports themselves. Before a high school student is allowed to play for their school, they and their parent are usually forced to sign an indemnity waiver. Once this indemnity form is signed, it often precludes any sort of legal action against the school or coach after your child has suffered an injury.
Although these forms can sometimes be overcome if there is clear evidence of gross negligence on the part of the school, it is usually extremely difficult for courts to ignore.
Sports Are Dangerous
Another reason that lawsuits involving high school sports face dismissal so often has to do with the inherent risk involved in many sports. Sports that involve high levels of physical contact—such as football, hockey or soccer—come with a high risk of injury. Most athletes engage in these sports with the knowledge that they will suffer an injury at some point, which can make an injury lawsuit very tough to win.
When you bring your suit, the school will likely claim that both you and your child athlete were aware of the risks involved with the sport and that because contact sports are known to be dangerous, there is no responsibility on their part to prevent injuries.
How You Can Win Your Injury Lawsuit
Fortunately, even with the difficulties that we just discussed, it is still possible to win an injury lawsuit involving high school sports, provided you have the evidence on your side. When gathering evidence in preparation for your lawsuit, there are several factors to look out for that can help you win your case.
First, you can try to show that your child was inadequately supervised and that is directly led to their injury. Secondly, you can look for evidence that the school’s facilities and equipment were outdated and unsafe and that this caused your child’s accident. Finally, you can seek to prove that your child’s coach did not provide proper training and that this lack of instruction resulted in an injury.
Consult an Attorney
If you need help with your injury lawsuit after your child has suffered a high school sports injury, then you should consider hiring a Tennessee lawyer from Mitch Grissim & Associates. Our team has experience in a wide range of personal injury lawsuit and we know how to build a strong case so that your child gets the compensation they deserve. Schedule a consultation with one of our excellent attorneys today.
