Catastrophic injuries can happen quickly and without much warning. Often, they are a result of an accident. However, if you play sports in California, then you are at risk for such an injury every time you play. Some of these may be minor, but some may be severe. Catastrophic sports injuries, according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, is an injury that results in a permanent disability, serious damage to the body even if it heals completely or death.
Some examples of such an injury include neck fractures, concussions, paralysis and cardiac arrest. They are severe and require immediate attention by medical personnel. These injuries affect a person’s life in a major way even if it is only for a short period of time during recovery. They are a traumatic experience for you and something that may prevent you from playing sports in the future. You may lose skills or the ability to do certain things because of the injury.
To be classified as a sports injury, it must occur while you are playing the sport. This includes practice times in addition to actual games or competitions. The injury must be a direct result of playing the sport. If you were not active in the sport, it likely would not have occurred. This is true even if it was a medical condition that was not caused by the sport but was aggravated by your participation in the sport. This information is intended to educate and should not be taken as legal advice.
