Sports-related accidents and sports injury claims

Can I make a sport injury claim?

The simplest way to find out if you can make a sport injury claim is to contact us. You can do this by giving us a call for free on for sports injury claim advice or just let us call you back by entering your details. We recommend contacting us because:

• All calls to and from us are free.
• Any chat with us is confidential.
• Our service is advisory - so you're never under any pressure to make a claim.
• We can give you tailored advice on your experience.

When might you have grounds to make a no win no fee sports injury compensation claim?

When you take part or spectate in a sport or a physically active hobby, you accept the potential risk of injury that accompanies it. This is called ‘associated risk'. For example, go-karting or contact sports like rugby are inherently risky and there's always a chance you could get hurt in an accident.

Sports injury claims may be made when the accident and resulting injury can be shown to be avoidable and caused by the negligent action - or inaction - of someone else. In a successful sports injury compensation claim, your solicitor will seek to establish that the cause of the accident was due to the negligence of another rather than from the associated risk of taking part. It's a grey area that can sometimes make sports injury claims challenging. 

What are common causes in a sports injury compensation claim?

Some sports injuries are simple accidents due to associated risk where no-one was to blame for what happened. However, you may have grounds to make a sports injury compensation claim in circumstances where:

• The equipment you were using was faulty, for instance gym weights, climbing frames or exercise machines.
• The equipment you hired was faulty, poorly-maintained or otherwise unsafe, such as canoes or bikes.
• Badly-maintained or unsuitable lighting or surfaces in venues, on courts, pitches and courses that could cause falls, slips and trips.
• Poor or an absence of suitable signage at sports venues that didn't clearly highlight injury risk - for instance slippery surfaces.
• Inadequate observation, advice or instruction by a referee, umpire, instructor, personal trainer or other official in a position of responsibility.
• Failure by an official in control to take all reasonable steps to prevent an accident.
• Deliberately dangerous conduct by other participants that breach the rules - for instance a high neck tackle in rugby that leaves the victim paralysed. 

This list isn't exhaustive so don't worry if the circumstances of your sports injury are different. Chances are we may still be able to help so contact us on for a confidential chat with one of our friendly, personal injury advisors.

Who do I make a sports injury compensation claim against?

The venue, club, organisation or individual responsible for overseeing your activity is required by law to have specific liability insurance to cover situations where someone spectating or participating is injured. Some venues are operated by the local council and they will also have the requisite insurance cover in place.

Sports injury claims are made against the insurance company of the organisation or official you hold responsible for your accident injury. They are not made against individuals personally. This means they won't end up with a big bill they can't pay if your no win no fee sports injury compensation claim is successful.

How do I make a sports injury compensation claim?

Making a claim through us is easy. If you choose to go ahead with your sports injury compensation claim, we'll pair you with a specialist solicitor. We recommend you:

Seek medical attention

Your first priority is to yourself. Get to A&E or see your GP as soon as you can and get the medical treatment you need.

Get professional advice

If you think you may have grounds to make a sports injury compensation claim or are unsure, contact us on . We'll listen to what you've been through and let you know if we think you may be eligible to claim. If you do and if you'd like to go ahead, we'll then pair you with a specialist sports injury compensation claim solicitor.

Collect the evidence

Your solicitor will need accurate and detailed evidence so they can build your claim. The specialist law firm we pair you with will need:  

• The names and contact details of all involved, including for any witnesses.
• The type of accident and injury you suffered. For instance, a broken arm caused by defective gym equipment. 
• The date, time and a description of what happened.
• The names of the medical staff and address of the hospital or GP practice that treated you.
• Dates and times of any additional treatment or examinations you received.
• Any financial costs you (or your family) incurred as a direct result of your sports injury. 
• Keep any relevant receipts safe. These could be for things like treatment or travel to any medical appointments. 

Keep a record

Photographic evidence will be really useful to your solicitor. Take pictures of your injury with your smartphone (or ask a friend to do it for you) and get close-ups - particularly with an injury to the face. 

Note your symptoms in a daily diary as you get on the mend so your sports injury compensation solicitor can build a picture of your recovery. 

Ask for a statement from any witnesses and also from family or friends who may have been caring for you. 

Be organised

As your sports injury compensation claim progresses, you'll be asked for the key dates relating to your accident. We recommend you do this sooner rather than later while everything's still fresh in your mind. That way you'll be able to give them to your solicitor promptly when they need the information.

Make sure you keep safe any paperwork that may be relevant. The more useful detail you're able to share with your solicitor, the better the job your solicitor will be able to do while building your sports injury lawsuit.

If you need to talk to us, contact us on . We're open seven days a week and our people are always ready to help.

What are the time limits for making sports injury claims?

You usually have three years from when the accident injury occurred. There's a strict legal process your sports injury claims solicitor must follow, so if you're close to that three-year cut-off, call us soon on .

There are some exceptions to the time limits:

• If the claimant has suffered serious brain trauma that has impaired their psychological capacity, there's no time limit 
• A parent or guardian can make a claim for an injured child at any time until their 18th birthday old. If no claim has been made, that child as a legal adult has three years until their 21st birthday to start a sports injury compensation claim.

How much compensation might I get in a successful sports injury compensation claim?

It's hard to say at the outset how much successful sports injury claims attract. The amount will depend on variables like the circumstances of the accident, the severity of the injury, the recovery time and the financial expenses you may have incurred.

Your sports injury compensation claim solicitor will have an accurate idea of how much you may be awarded when they have valued your case and started negotiating with the other side's insurance company.

However, we have over years_since years' experience helping people make claims of all types - including sports injury claims - so try our compensation calculator. Answer a few short questions and we'll be able to give you a rough idea of the amount of damages to which you may be entitled.

Were you injured as a spectator?

Spectating a sport should come with very little risk, however occasionally we speak to people who have suffered an injury as a spectator.

Being injured as a spectator can happen because of a variety of reasons. For example:

• The venue you were in may have been poorly maintained and not fit for the sport or audience.
• The event may have been overcrowded and lacked correct crowd control.
• The venue may have not been lit very well which caused you to fall.
• Or, quite simply, the correct safety measures were not put in place to keep you safe from harm.

Either way, if you've experienced an injury because of somebody else's negligence within the last three years, we may be able to make you claim compensation for the impact that accident has had on your life.

Why make a sports injury claim?

If you've suffered an injury through no fault of your own, you deserve to be compensated.

Your sports injury may have meant that you've had to take time off work, leading to loss of earnings. Depending on the severity of your injury, this might end up causing you financial hardship. You may also have become more dependent on those around you to get to work, to get around your house or for emotional support. All of this can be compensated.

Your injury might also have resulted in you seeing an injury specialist such as a private physiotherapist, counsellor or a sports masseur. If you've had to pay for treatment because of your sports accident, you may be able to seek compensation to cover these costs.

You can find out a rough idea of how much you might be able to claim today using our easy-to-use compensation calculator.

Alternatively, contact us on and talk to us for jargon-free sports injury claim advice. Our friendly, personal injury advisors are ready to help.