Amateur Ultimate Frisbee Injuries: Can You File A Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Millions of people in the United States now take part in amateur ultimate frisbee matches. While the idea behind the game is relatively simple, even an innocuous plastic, flying disc can become dangerous in the wrong hands, and injuries can occur. If you suffer an injury while playing ultimate frisbee, you may want to know if it's possible to file a personal injury lawsuit. Learn more here.
Typical injuries
You can play ultimate frisbee with a few friends or as part of an amateur match at school. There are even multiple professional tournaments throughout the United States, and the sport is increasingly competitive. Nonetheless, even if you only play on an amateur basis, injuries can still occur when people try to outmatch their friends.
One survey looked at the injuries that occurred during matches held between 1986 and 1990. Perhaps surprisingly, the most common injuries did not occur when a frisbee collided with somebody's head. In fact, the study showed that frisbee players are more likely to suffer thigh muscle strains, ankle ligament sprains and skin abrasions and burns from slips and falls.
The study also found that sensible playing periods, better pitch selection and the right protective clothing can all help you cut the risk of an injury. Nonetheless, if you suffer an injury while playing a frisbee match, you may want to know if you can hold somebody else liable for your suffering.
Personal injury lawsuits against other players
If you're playing ultimate frisbee as an amateur, it's unlikely that you can file a personal injury lawsuit against another player. In the United States, the law normally stops you suing fellow players for these injuries. There's a general assumption that amateur players accept the risk of the game when they agree to take part. Of course, this assumption only applies when an injury occurs that is inherent to the sport.
For example, if you hurt your ankle when you slip while running with a frisbee, you couldn't file a lawsuit against anyone because everyone has to run as part of this game.
However, you could file a lawsuit if the other player behaved unreasonably. For example, it's not in the rules of the game to deliberately hit somebody with a frisbee. What's more, if the other player attacked and injured you while playing the game, you may have a potential lawsuit to file.
Other considerations
Despite the legal doctrine of assumption of risk, other circumstances may mean that you can still file a lawsuit against other parties.
Faulty or broken equipment can lead to a personal injury lawsuit. For example, you might have grounds to file a lawsuit if a frisbee shatters on the ground, and you cut yourself on a shard of plastic. In this case, you could consider a lawsuit against the manufacturer, as the frisbee was faulty.
Similarly, you could file a lawsuit against the venue owner if he or she is negligent in some way. For example, if you play a match on a sports ground, and you slip on a dangerous surface, you could argue that the owner failed to provide safe facilities. Similarly, if you play a match in your school gym and other equipment falls on you, you may have grounds for legal action.
It could even become possible to file a lawsuit against your school or sporting society. If you're playing an amateur match at school, the instructor must make sure the playing conditions are safe. Similarly, he or she should make sure you take the right protective measures, such as playing for reasonable periods.
It's often difficult to understand if you have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit, so you should always contact a personal injury attorney in the first instance. He or she can examine the details of your case and can help you understand if legal action is appropriate.
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