1-855-722-2552Playing football is not for the faint of heart. Despite the safety precautions put in place, football is a rough sport and often ends up in the injury of players. The recent spotlight of studies focusing on the effects continual blows to the head have on brain functionality have made many question whether there are enough safeguards in place to protect players.
If your child suffered from a football injury, it’s possible that you may have cause to pursue compensation. Complete the Free Case Evaluation form to the right to begin exploring your legal options.
Common Injuries in Football Players
The combination of player size, the speed of play and the physical nature of the game makes football injuries very common. Typical injuries can be separated into four categories: traumatic injuries, head injuries, overuse injuries and heat injuries.Traumatic Injuries
Full contact football results in many different types of traumatic injuries. Knee injuries are the most common, especially those to the ACL or PCL and to knee cartilage. Additionally, due to surfaces played on as well as cutting moves that are typical of the sport, players have a higher risk of ankle sprains and strains.
Shoulder injuries are also pretty common. The cartilage bumper that surrounds the sockets part of the shoulder is especially susceptible to injury, particularly in offensive and defensive lineman. Hip pointers are common results of a tackle injury. This type of injury indicates a bone bruise or a possible fracture of the pelvis and can be extremely painful.
Head Injuries
Due to the nature of the game, head injuries are not uncommon. Even though, as of late, more padding has been added to helmets, the risk of sustaining a head or brain injury is still very high. Football players are especially susceptible to concussions. A concussion can be defined as a change in mental state due to traumatic impact. Those who suffer from a concussion do not always lose consciousness. Signs that your child has experienced a concussion include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Loss of balance
- Drowsiness
- Numbness/tingling
- Difficulty concentrating
- Blurry vision
If your child experiences any of these symptoms after taking a hard hit, it is recommended that you seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Overuse Injuries
Overuse can result in low-back pain or just back pain in general. Overuse often results in overtraining syndrome. When a player trains beyond the ability for the body to recover, this is known as overtraining syndrome. Additionally, patellar tendinitis, or knee pain, can develop from overuse. This type of injury can usually be treated by a quadriceps strengthening program.
Heat Injuries
Particularly in South Florida, heat injuries are a big concern, especially for players at the beginning of the season. Many training camps begin in August, when some of the highest temperatures and humidity occur. The intense physical exertion of a football practice or game in these conditions can cause excessive sweating which depletes the body of salt and water. If left untreated, players can suffer from heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Extreme cases can result in fatality.
Contact an Experienced Football Injury Attorney
Football leads the nation in the number of injuries sustained by participants. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, over 920,000 athletes under the age of 18 were treated in emergency rooms, doctors’ offices and clinics for football-related injuries in 2007.
If your child suffered from a football injury that could have been prevented with proper safety equipment or supervision, you may be eligible to recover compensation.
For more information on the legal rights which may be available to football injury victims and their families or to schedule a no-obligation consultation with an experienced attorney at Gordon & Partners , complete the Free Case Evaluation form on this page.