Most of the time when people think about personal injury claims they imagine road traffic accidents, workplace injuries or a slip in a public place.
But personal injuries can also occur when playing, or even watching, sport, and these injuries could also be a justified basis for a compensation claim.
Of course participants know there is a certain level of risk when they play sports.
Contact games and extreme sports carry higher risks than other activities, but this does not excuse negligent or irresponsible behaviour or being provided with faulty or unfit equipment, and it is in these kind of circumstances that a personal injury claim could be made.
Minor scrapes, cuts and bruises are expected when playing many sports and injuries do not often cause severe or long-term harm.
Or, if they do, they were accidents in the truest sense of the word and nothing could have been done to prevent them (save not taking part, but that is a personal choice that people knowingly make).
To be able to make a claim for a personal injury caused while playing or watching sport it must be resolved that there was negligence or irresponsible behaviour that caused the harm.
In real terms, this means that someone did not act to reduce the risks of you being injured.
For example, it could be that a game was cleared to play on a water-logged pitch but it was too dangerous and should have been called off.
Or, when watching motorsports, safety measures did not adhere to the regulations and a crash caused serious injury to spectators.
It may also be that a club provided equipment that was not up to standard and this meant what would normally have been some mild bruising became a broken limb or soft tissue damage.
Sports injuries claims could also be made against companies that run activities such as paintballing sessions, horse riding lessons or skiing trips.
If they do not adhere to health and safety regulations they could be found to be responsible for your injuries and you may get compensation.
Whatever the situation, if you think you are justified in making a sports injury claim you should speak to a legal firm and find out about your rights.
They will be able to advise on what you can do and your attorneys or lawyers will handle the whole claims process, doing everything from collecting medical reports and witness statements to negotiating with insurance companies and representing you in court if necessary.
Anyone playing or watching sport should be aware that they could be harmed, but this does not excuse irresponsible behaviour or mean negligent actions should be acceptable.
All participants have a duty to play safely and not cause undue harm, but if something goes wrong and you think your injury should have been preventable, do find out about making a claim and ensure you stand up for your legal rights.