Archive for the 'Sports accidents' Category

A rambler who suffered injuries when walking on a rickety footbridge has won £3,000 in her accident compensation claim.  Mrs B Green was walking along a public footpath at Combe Haven Valley Nature Reserve, and as she went over a wooden bridge a section of the planking collapsed.

As a result of the accident Mrs Green suffered factures to her 2^nd and 3^rd metatarsals, cuts to her shin and bruising to her groin.

The local council defended the accident claim, stating that she should have seen the defect and stepped over it.  However, they admitted having no formal inspection regime for the bridge as it was in a rural location.

The Court of Appeal have decided that when a player suffers an injury as a result of an “assault” by another player during the game, sports clubs may now have to pay injury compensation to the victim of the “assault”.

The decision involved a match between teams playing for Redruth Rugby Football Club and Halifax Rugby Football Club that took place in 2005.  During the match one of the Redruth players thumped a Halifax team member, Andrew Gravil, and he sustained injuries to his eye socket.

At the original trial of the personal injury claim, the Court made a distinction between full-time and semi-professional players.  However, the Court of Appeal found that it was fair and just for clubs to be held responsible in this situation whether or not the participants in the match were employed by the clubs on a full-time or part-time basis.