Dangers of Playing Sports

With the Summer Olympics going on right now, many of us watch these highly skilled and talented athletes in awe of their greatness. We often wish we could be athletes and make money for playing sports we love.

Organized sports are a great way to get much-needed exercise. Participating in sports improves strength and balance. It is also good for the heart. It’s also a great way to stay out of trouble and meet new people, with close to 8 million high schoolers in the United States participating in sports.

However, just like everything we do, playing sports comes with risks, including catastrophic injuries. Youth sports injuries account for 2.7 million visits to the emergency rooms every year. Many professional athletes and Olympians do not become successes overnight. They spend many hours training and practicing their chosen sport. This puts a lot of pressure on bones and muscles, often leading to serious injuries.

Catastrophic sports injuries and illnesses are defined as severe conditions that result in death or disability, whether it be temporary or permanent. The most common types of catastrophic events include traumatic head and neck injuries, exertional heat stroke, internal organ injuries, and sudden cardiac arrest.

Ongoing surveillance reveals that on average, 120 catastrophic injuries and medical conditions occur annually among sports players at the middle school, high school, and college levels. Of these, approximately 45 are fatal.

The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research (NCCSIR) conducts surveillance of catastrophic injuries and illnesses due to organized sports in the United States. It captures statistics at the youth, amateur, and professional levels, as well as school levels such as collegiate, high school, and middle school. The NCCSIR serves as a primary source for catastrophic sport injury and illness information.

In the past, information about sports injuries was obtained largely from publicly available news media reports as well as state and national sport organizations. However, reliance on news media reports means that only the events covered by the media are captured. There could be many more incidents that are not reported. Ideally, surveillance systems should actively capture health outcomes as they occur.

 Contact a New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Sports are a great outlet for people of all ages, but accidents can and do happen. A person can twist an ankle, break a leg, fall, get hit in the head, suffer a concussion, or suffer other serious injuries while participating in sports.

Many sports injuries are caused by a person’s own negligence and inexperience. However, some may be caused by others. When this happens, contact a Morristown catastrophic injuries attorney from The Law Offices of Michael P. Burakoff. We have more than 40 years of personal injury trial and negotiation experience. We have fought for many damages for the victims of serious and catastrophic injuries. To schedule a consultation with our office, call (973) 455-1567 or fill out the online form.

Source:

nfhs.org/articles/reporting-catastrophic-injuries-promotes-improved-safety/