Sports are a global obsession, providing entertainment for the masses and opportunities for teamwork and physical fitness for athletes of all ages. Pushing your body to its limits to score a goal or shatter a world record can be exhilarating, but there are inherent risks involved.
Schools, teams and leagues are charged with minimizing the risk of athletic injuries, but sometimes negligence and a disregard for the athlete’s safety can lead to unnecessary injuries. When you are injured due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to a personal injury settlement.
Sports with the Most Injuries
While any type of physical activity has inherent risks, some sports cause more injuries than others.
- Basketball: Shooting hoops causes the most injuries of all sports worldwide, mostly because of its widespread popularity among youth. It is estimated that 26 million youth between the ages of 12-17 play basketball, but the sport causes the most injuries in athletes of all ages, accounting for half a million hospital visits per year. Ruptures of the ACL and Achilles tendon and ankle sprains are common.
- American Football: Contact and collision injuries compete with knee and ankle injuries in America’s favorite sport. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are common, along with rotator cuff injuries, torn ACLs, Achilles tendon ruptures and an array of other soft tissue injuries. This rough-and-tumble sport poses high risks for athletes.
- Soccer: The fast pace of soccer leads to numerous contact and collision injuries each season, with a high rate of injury for children aged 5-14. TBIs are also common due to “heading,” where a player strikes the ball with an unprotected head.
- Cheerleading: Cheerleaders add excitement to any sport, entertaining fans with high-flying feats of gymnastics while cheering their teams on to victory. But cheerleading injuries are high, ranging from ankle and wrist sprains to catastrophic falls from a lift or toss.
- Ice Hockey: Perhaps the fastest moving sport, save for auto racing, massive athletes moving at high velocities on a slick surface is a recipe for injuries. From groin injuries to TBIs, hockey players take a beating. Not to mention flying pucks that can do damage to teeth, eyes and facial bones. Thirty-six percent of ice hockey injuries are TBIs, making it one of the most dangerous team sports.
Worst Types of Sports Injuries
Any injury is hard to stomach for athletes who love their sport. It means time off the playing field, and away from friends and teammates. But some injuries are truly devastating, especially for aspiring elites and career athletes whose lives and livelihoods are forever altered after an injury. Some of the worst injuries are:
- TBIs: Traumatic brain injuries, aka concussions, can do untold brain damage that often worsens with age. A TBI can take an athlete off the field for an entire season, or even be career-ending. Many athletes who experience a TBI as a youth or young adult face neurological problems later in life, and often premature death.
- ACL Ruptures: The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) plays a major role in stabilizing the knee during physical activity. Sports that involve rapid directional changes and sudden deceleration like basketball, hockey and football, see a high incidence of torn ACLs. An ACL can take up to a year to rehab, and re-injuries are common. ACL ruptures often end the careers of professional athletes, and can ruin the chances of a young athlete going pro.
- Spinal fractures: Fractured vertebra can be painful and debilitating, and may even lead to paralysis. Cheerleaders, gymnasts and athletes in contact sports are at highest risk.
- Broken leg: Most sports require two strong legs, so a serious fracture can be devastating. The weight bearing bones in an athlete’s legs are incredibly strong, and it takes immense force loads to cause a fracture. A severely broken leg bone is likely to end an athlete’s career.
When You are Injured Playing Sports
Whether you are the parent of an injured child, a college athlete aspiring to go pro, an Olympian, or a paid professional, a serious injury can forever alter the course of your life. Disability, lost income and diminished quality of life often ensue a serious injury, and many athletes suffer from depression, PTSD or cognitive impairment.
While the majority of sports injuries are the luck of the draw, many arise from negligence on the part of athletic officials and coaches. If you are injured due to someone else’s negligence, you are entitled to compensation. To get the largest settlement, find a personal injury law firm with experience in athletic injury cases.
Pre-Settlement Sports Injury Funding
If you need money to make ends meet while you wait for your case to settle, a pre-settlement lender can help. They will give you a cash advance against your settlement award, with no credit check and no monthly payments. If you lose your lawsuit, you walk away owing nothing.
Cronus Capital is a premier lender for personal injury cases. A simple phone call or online inquiry can get the ball rolling for a speedy cash advance. The application process is quick and easy, and you could have your pre-settlement loan in as little as 24 hours. Contact us today, and put the ball in your court with a no-risk cash advance from Cronus Capital Group.
