Football Injury Claims

Making a football injury claim

For there to be civil liability the incident will usually be particularly dangerous or deliberate act. Much will depend on the particular circumstances of the case. A mistimed slide tackle in the wet may look similar to a deliberate high two-footed lunge where the player is nowhere near the ball. The former may only be a yellow card offence, the latter may result in a civil claim. It is the serious career-threatening injuries that tend to warrant civil action, where the injured party can claim the losses resulting from having to give up the sport.

Football injury claims are sometimes brought in the professional game, and in a notable case arising from a tackle in a reserve match a Manchester United youngster was so badly injured that he had to give up professional football. He was awarded over £4 million by the High Court in lost earnings as a footballer, the highest award of its type for a professional sportsman. It is not just Premier League footballers that can bring a claim though; the same legal principles apply whatever the level of the game, from professional to amateur, Sunday league and 5-a-side football.

Injuries can also be caused by the action or inaction of others. Those who own and control the football pitches and facilities that we all use to play and watch football owe us a duty of care. That duty is to ensure, so far as possible, that the premises are reasonably safe for the people using them. So they will be responsible for a pitch that has potholes, broken glass or other dangerous defects that they knew about or ought to have known about.

Where the injury is caused by a deliberate assault then there may be a claim for football injury compensation to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, a government scheme that provides limited recompense for the victims of violent crime, but depending on the circumstances there may also be an injury claim against the player and/or his club.

Football injury claim client story

Mr L was playing for his regular indoor 5-a-side team at the sports hall of a local school. The school were aware – although Mr L was not – that there had been a problem with water leaking from the roof and dripping down onto the floor of the sports hall. So on the evening in question, there was a puddle of water on the playing surface and it had not been cleared up.

Shortly after the game started Mr L was running with the ball. There was no other player near him when he suddenly collapsed. One foot had slipped in the puddle but the other – because of the grip on the soles of his trainers – remained static and force was enough to fracture his tibia and fibula so badly they came through the skin of the lower leg. He needed surgery to plate the fractures and is still not back to playing football. Liability was eventually admitted by the insurers and Mr L is awaiting further medical investigations (MRI scans and x-rays) to determine whether the bones have united and whether he will suffer long-term problems with pain and mobility.

How Much Compensation Can I Claim For a Football Injury?

The amount of compensation you can claim for a football injury can vary significantly based on several factors. These include the severity of your injury, the impact on your lifestyle, loss of earnings, future losses, medical expenses, and any other costs incurred as a result of the injury. Here are some example compensation ranges for a football injury:

• Minor Injuries: For sprains, minor fractures, or soft tissue injuries where recovery is quick, compensation might range from a few hundred to several thousand pounds.
• Moderate Injuries: Injuries that require extensive recovery time but do not result in permanent damage, such as serious ligament damage or broken bones, can claim higher amounts.
• Severe Injuries: For serious injuries leading to chronic conditions, long-term disability, or significant lifestyle changes, the compensation can be substantial, potentially reaching tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds.

For a more accurate estimate tailored to your specific circumstances, speak to one of our personal injury solicitors. They can assess the details of your case and provide a more accurate figure of potential compensation.

Common football injuries we see

Football combines speed, physical contact, hard pitches and high reliance on the referee and match officials. Most injuries are part of the game; some are the result of negligence or assault, and those can be claimed for.

Concussion and head injury. Heading the ball, clashes of heads and being struck by a swung elbow cause concussion and longer-term brain injury. Where the FA Concussion Guidelines have been ignored and a player has been returned to play too soon, second-impact injury is usually attributable to the club or coach.

Knee ligament injuries. ACL ruptures, meniscus tears and medial ligament damage account for a significant share of career-ending football injuries. Many follow from reckless or studs-up challenges that go beyond the rules and become actionable.

Ankle injuries. Sliding tackles, awkward landings and twists on uneven pitches cause ankle fractures, ligament tears and chronic instability. Pitch defects (potholes, exposed manhole covers, uneven turf) put liability on the pitch owner.

Leg fractures from reckless tackles. Late, two-footed, studs-up or off-the-ball challenges that fracture the tibia, fibula or femur are not part of the game. Where a referee’s match report or video evidence supports the claim, we have recovered substantial compensation against the player and the club.

Hamstring, groin and soft tissue injuries. Inadequate warm-ups, poor pitch conditions and being pushed back too soon after injury cause hamstring tears and chronic groin pain. Coach and club negligence is the route to a claim where they are at fault.

Facial and dental injuries. Elbows, heads and the ball itself cause facial fractures, broken noses and dental damage, often during off-the-ball incidents. Dental work alone routinely runs into thousands of pounds.

On-pitch assaults. Punches, headbutts and stamping outside of normal play are assaults, not part of the game. We have recovered compensation from individual players and from clubs where the assailant had a history that should have led to action.

Spectator and parent injuries. Players or spectators struck by the ball outside the field of play, or injured by slips and trips on poorly maintained pitches,, parents caught by reckless play near the sidelines and supporters injured by missing or defective barriers can all claim against the pitch owner or club.

How much does it cost to make a claim?

The majority of personal injury cases are handled on a no win, no fee basis. This means that you won’t have to pay any upfront legal fees to start your claim. Instead, your solicitor’s fees will be deducted from the compensation awarded if the case is successful.

Contact us for a consultation

If you have been injured in a football-related incident contact us for advice on whether you can make a sports injury claim. Call 020 7485 8811 or fill in the contact form below.