If you are like many Canadian adults, you probably enjoy playing recreational sports in your free time. As anyone who’s spent time watching and playing sports knows, tempers can flare during a game. Even though it is supposed to be for fun, every once in a while the level of competition goes a little too far and the end result is an injury to one or more of the players.
While a player may expect a certain degree of risk of injury in many sports, use of excessive violence is not generally tolerated in any league, let alone a rec league. Sports organizations often have rules that govern conduct. When the rules of conduct are ignored, there may be a variety of sanctions imposed on a player. Suspension from play is one common consequence of aggressive behavior and sometimes a player is banned from play indefinitely if they go too far.
The unfortunate part about these incidents is the aggressive person is usually out of character and simply reacts in the heat of the moment. Even the most cool, calm and collected person can lose their temper and when a hockey stick or baseball bat is in their hands, they suddenly have a weapon they never intended to use.
Aggressive players may expose themselves to legal liability for injuries caused on the field or ice, regardless of if they use their fists, a piece of equipment or even verbal attacks. Typically, a sports injury claim would fall into the category of assault and/or battery.
Assault and battery are often confused and they have different and distinct legal meanings in the civil (tort) and criminal contexts. In tort law, an assault means to put a person in immediate fear (or apprehension) of physical injury or offensive contact. This may include verbal attacks. A battery, in tort law, refers to actual physical contact with another individual.
If you are seriously injured while playing a sport, you may be entitled to claim damages to compensate you for your injuries. A personal injury lawyer from Ferguson Barristers will evaluate your claim and help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Ferguson Barristers can supply you with a personal injury lawyer in the following locations:
- Alliston
- Barrie
- Brockville
- Fergus
- Midland
- North Bay
- Orillia
- Sudbury
- Whitby
- plus many more locations
