Many people are unaware that all participants in sport are subject to the law and may incur criminal and or civil liability.

Participating in sporting activities, whatever their nature, involves certain necessary and inevitable risks, so it is often said that injury is an inevitable by-product of a sport.

However, successful sports compensation claims arise where the injury is caused by wrongful conduct, for example;

- athletes injured by dangerous tackles;

- deliberate assault during a game;

- inadequate or insufficient training;

- defective equipment, for example, in a gym or fitness establishment;

- dangerous playing surface;

- failure by a referee to properly enforce the rules, so allowing risks of injury to increase unnecessarily;

- failure to properly cordon off / create a safe viewing area for spectators whilst watching motor or another dangerous sport;

- injuries caused by other spectators e.g. throwing objects.

Your claim could therefore be brought against another participant, the referee, the coach, a spectator or even the manufacturer or supplier of sporting equipment that may have been at fault.

To assist your case, you should;

- report the accident to the appropriate person;

- make a note of your accident in the accident book;

- take names and contact details of witnesses to the accident; and,

- if it is appropriate, take photographs of the area where the accident happened and of the injuries sustained.

If you or someone you know has suffered an injury whilst playing or watching sport, you should seek the advice of a specialist solicitor who will not only pursue compensation claims for sufferers on a true No Win, No Fee basis, but also provide advice and assistance with applications in order to maximise DSS benefit entitlement.