How To Claim Compensation For A Spectator Accident Or Injury At A Sporting Event
By Daniel Hill. Last Updated 13th August 2021. Sporting events draw in large crowds which puts spectators at risk of being injured. If you were involved in a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event through the negligence of a third party, you could be entitled to personal injury compensation.
Accidents can happen at sporting events no matter how careful you are. You may have slipped, tripped and fallen on an uneven surface, or you may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Violence in sport incidents is also well documented, but poorly maintained sports grounds and other sporting locations has led to spectators being injured too. In some cases, it has led to their deaths. A football flying through the air and hitting you in the face can also cause serious damage.
If you were involved in a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event, at Legal Expert we have years of experience in handling successful personal injury claims for clients in the past. Our guide details how a personal injury claim works and what is needed to get your case filed offering valuable advice on the amount of compensation you may be awarded in a successful claim. To find out how a personal injury lawyer can work with you on a No Win No Fee basis, please don’t hesitate in contacting us today. Below, you’ll find a few ways you can do just that.
- Call us on 0800 073 8804
- Start your process of making a claim online by filling out the form on our website
- You can also use the live chat window in the corner to speak to our advisors
Select A Section
- A Guide To Spectator Injuries At Sports Events
- What Are Spectator Injuries And Accidents At Sporting Events?
- Common Spectator Accidents And Injuries At Sports Events
- What Is The Sports Event Or Stadium Operators Duty Of Care To Me?
- Am I Eligible To Make A Compensation Claim?
- Who Can I Make A Sporting Spectator Injury Claim Against?
- What Could Sport Spectator Injuries Include?
- Sporting Grounds Injury Statistics
- How Your Spectator Compensation Claim Is Calculated
- How Much Your Spectator Compensation Claim could Be Worth
- No Win No Fee Spectator Accident Or Injury Claims
- Legal Expert Are Best Placed To Help You
- How To Get In Contact With Our Teams
- Useful Links
A Guide To Spectator Injuries At Sports Events
Police at sporting event
Attending a sporting event whether it’s football, rugby, tennis, horse racing or an athletics competition is a popular pastime for many people throughout the UK. However, as with any situation that involves large, often enthusiastic crowds, the risk of injury to spectators is all too evident. Unfortunately, examples of violence in professional sports are well documented. Add to this the sporting disasters that have occurred over the years which resulted in the deaths of many spectators, legislation was passed to keep visitors, workers, participants and other people safe when attending a sporting event.
Sports grounds, stadiums and other sporting locations where spectators enjoy events just like other public places are obligated to adhere to Health and Safety regulations as set out by law. In short, sports bodies whether a stadium owner, organiser or local council must ensure that the public is protected from injury when attending a sporting event that includes both outside and indoor activities.
Failure to keep spectators and all other people who attend a sporting event that results in them being injured would be deemed negligent on the part of an organiser, owner or other responsible people. Should you be confronted by another spectator and injured, you could be entitled to file a personal injury claim against that person or persons.
If you were involved in a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event in the last 3 years and are wondering if you could be entitled to file for compensation, providing you can prove a third party was responsible for your pain and suffering, you may be entitled to compensation.
At Legal Expert, we would assess your case by offering an initial no-obligation consultation free of charge. A personal injury solicitor would then establish who may be held liable for your injuries whether it’s a stadium owner or other sporting body, bearing in mind all sporting event organisers have a duty of care to ensure you are protected from injury while you are in a sports facility.
What Are Spectator Injuries And Accidents At Sporting Events?
Accidents at sporting events occur for a multitude of reasons and providing a third party is to blame for an incident, you could be entitled to file a claim. You may have been caught up in violence in sport incidents because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, fan violence in sports is well documented with reports of people suffering injuries while attending a sporting event.
Both adults and minors are at risk of suffering a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event and if a child is involved in an incident, a parent can file a claim for compensation on their behalf. The most commonly reported spectator injuries at sporting events are detailed below:
- Slips, trips and falls – mainly due to crowd size, badly lit areas and objects left in the way
- Badly organised events resulting in a person being injured whether slightly or more severely
- Being hit by equipment which includes a football, tennis ball, tennis racket or other
- Accidents in car parks where pedestrians are at risk of injury from moving cars
- Poorly maintained sports grounds/stadiums where pathways are uneven
The list above details just a few of the circumstances that may lead to you suffering a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event but there are many other incidents that could lead to you suffering damage to your health and well-being.
Common Spectator Accidents And Injuries At Sports Events
Accidents happen in sports stadiums and other sporting events mainly due to crowds of enthusiastic people congregating in one place. Some of the most common accidents reported at sports events include the following:
- Trip, slip and fall incidents that occur due to being in a crowd, bad lighting or some kind of obstruction being in the way
- Unsafe seating
- Badly organised crowd control can cause falls or spectators being crushed
- Violence during or after a game
- Loud noises that negatively impact a person’s hearing
- Suffering injuries when hit by a fast-moving object
All of the above are injuries that can happen whether at the hands of a third party, stadium owners, event organisers or anyone who is responsible for a sporting event. If you were involved in a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event, a personal injury lawyer would assess who may be liable for the incident before filing a claim for damages.
What Is The Sports Event Or Stadium Operators Duty Of Care To Me?
Stadium operators and sports event organisers have a duty of care to ensure that spectators are protected from hazards and injuries. If you were involved in a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event that left you unable to work, you could be entitled to file for compensation for the pain and suffering your endured as well as any out of pocket expenses you incurred.
Stadium owners and sports bodies, in general, must abide by safety regulations set in place that cover sports grounds, stadiums and other sporting locations. It’s a statutory framework that was set in place following serious and fatal accidents that occurred in the past with the Hillsborough Stadium disaster in 1989 where 96 spectators lost their lives, having influenced the renewed safety at sporting events legislation.
All sporting event organisers are held liable for injuries spectators may suffer in a stadium, sports ground or other sporting location which was set in place under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. This legislation clearly states that sporting event organisers have a duty of care to protect the safety of visitors while the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1984 provides a limited amount of protection for trespassers.
On top of this, the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 clearly states that sporting event organiser must protect the health, safety and welfare of all spectators, participants, employees and other visitors to an event. Other acts that cover the duty of care of sporting event organisers are detailed below:
- The Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975
- The Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987
- The Football Spectators Act 1989
At Legal Expert, we work with a team of experienced personal injury lawyers who are well-versed in filing successful personal injury claims for clients in the past. We know what information is needed to file what is often a complex claim and we know how to establish liability. We work with clients on a No Win No Fee basis taking all the financial pressure associated with legal procedures off the table. To find out how we can help you, please contact us today.
Am I Eligible To Make A Compensation Claim?
Anyone who is injured through no fault of their own when they attend a sporting event could be entitled to compensation. However, the first and most essential part of the process is proving liability on the part of a third party whether it’s a stadium owner, event organiser or another person who directly caused your injury.
A personal injury lawyer would be able to assess your case before deciding if you have a strong claim for compensation for the pain and suffering you sustained through no fault of your own. We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation which means you can ask questions about filing a claim and which allows a personal injury lawyer the opportunity to assess the circumstances surrounding your accident and to establish liability.
Who Can I Make A Sporting Spectator Injury Claim Against?
Responsibility for a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event would need to be established before a personal injury claim could be filed against a third party. We would look at the circumstances surrounding your case before advising on who would be held liable by a court for the injuries, pain and suffering your endured as a result of their negligence. This could include the following third parties:
- An owner of a stadium or sports ground
- Another person who caused you injury during a fight or when they threw an object that hit you
- Security staff that were on duty at a sporting event
- A local authority if the sports ground or stadium belonged to the council
What Could Sport Spectator Injuries Include?
Anyone who has been involved in a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event could be entitled to claim compensation for their pain and suffering as well as any out of pocket expenses they incurred. Injuries can happen at sporting events for a variety of reasons some of which are detailed below:
- Spectator riots – when things get out of hand and there are crowds of people in a stadium or other sporting event, you can sustain serious injuries more especially if fights between spectators break out and there are many examples of fan violence in sports
- Sporting equipment – all too often a ball or other sporting equipment which could include a tennis racket being thrown off the court, can fly into the crowd resulting in someone or people being injured
- Race cars – rally and other sports vehicles which includes motorbikes can veer off the track into a crowd
- Stadiums and/or grounds – poorly maintained facilities puts spectators at risk and could even lead to fatalities
Even a child can be injured during PE and anyone working out in a gym, doing martial arts or in an aerobics class could be at risk of being injured. Anyone who is injured in any of these situations could be entitled to file a claim for compensation more especially if they sustained head injuries, broken or fractured bones. However, even less severe injuries can put you out of action for several weeks leading to a loss of income and out of pocket expenses.
The key to filing a successful personal injury claim is to prove liability on the part of a third party whether it’s the owners of a sports stadium, coach, referee, organisers or anyone else who is in control of a sporting event.
Sporting Grounds Injury Statistics
The percentage of injuries sustained by football spectators specifcally can be divided up by various periods of the game. The main ones being:
- Before the match
- During the match
- Half-time
- After the match
Although, some injuries are sustained at an unknown period during the individual’s time at the stadium. The Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) statistics break down when these injuries occurred during the first 6 months of the 2019/20 English football season. The analysis also differentiates between the top 4 leagues in the country, including international matches.
How Your Spectator Compensation Claim Is Calculated
If you have suffered a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event in the last 3 years and would like to know how much you may be awarded in a successful claim, there are several factors that a court would take into account when calculating how much they would award. Some of these are listed below.
General Damages
This sum is awarded to you to account for the pain and suffering you experience as a result of your injuries. The amount will often depend on how severe the injury is. The length of the recovery period is also taken into consideration.
Special Damages
This sum is comprised of additional outgoings or losses you may have experienced due to your injuries. It’s important that you have evidence of these costs. If you have no proof, you’ll find it more difficult to be reimbursed. Some examples include:
- Travel expenses
- Medical bills
- Loss of earnings
- Loss of future income (in extreme cases)
A personal injury solicitor would walk you through what filing a claim entails. We would work with you on a No Win No Fee basis, taking all the stress out of having to find the funds to pay for legal advice and to get your claim started.
How Much Your Spectator Compensation Claim Could Be Worth
Every personal injury claim is different. Because of this, there is no estimation we can give that would be accurate for everybody. What we can do is supply you with some example figures from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). These guidelines are made up of a list of injuries and what they could be worth in general damages, depending on a number of factors.
We’ve included a small cross-section of these figures in the table below.
| Injury | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Head/brain | (c) Moderate – (iii) things like memory or concentration will be affected and your ability to work will be reduced | £40,410 to £85,150 |
| Head/brain | (d) Brain damage will be less severe and work/social activities will be possible but things like concentration may still suffer slightly | £14,380 to £40,410 |
| Leg | Severe – (ii) Very serious injuries that lead to lasting mobility problems that require a walking/mobility aid | £51,460 to £85,600 |
| Leg | (c) Less serious – fractures or soft tissue damage from which a full recovery is never made | £16,860 to £26,050 |
| Arm | (a) Severe – an injury so serious that the injured party will be little better off than if the limb had been amputated | £90,250 to £122,860 |
| Arm | (d) Simple forearm fractures | £6,190 to £18,020 |
| Back | (c) Minor – either a full or almost full recovery without surgery in 2-5 years | £7,410 to £11,730 |
| Back | (c) Minor – (iii) Full recovery in a three month period | Up to £2,300 |
| Fingers | (f) Severe finger fractures that lead to impaired grip, deformity etc. | Up to £34,480 |
| Mental | (d) Less severe psychiatric damage – sum will be affected by disruption to daily activities such as sleep | £1,440 to £5,500 |
| Mental | Mental anguish – when the injured party fear their life will end, or be shortened | £4,380 |
No Win No Fee Spectator Accident Or Injury Claims
At Legal Expert, our team of personal injury solicitors have years of experience in working with clients when it comes to filing successful a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event claim. We offer to work with you on a No Win No Fee basis allowing us to begin work on your case as soon as the Conditional Fee Agreement is set up. This frees up your time allowing you to carry on with your day-to-day life without the financial worries associated with a personal injury claim.
The only time you need to think about payment, is when a court rules in your favour or the defendant’s insurer settles your personal injury claim out of court. We would take the agreed fee directly from the defendant’s insurers, taking the onus off you having to settle the bill. Should your case not be successful, there would be nothing to pay towards any legal fees at all.
Legal Expert Are Best Placed To Help You
We have worked with many clients who wanted to find out if they could file a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event claim. We provide an initial, no obligation consultation free of charge which allows us the time to establish who would be liable, whether you have a valid case and offer advice on how much a court may award for your injuries and out of pocket expenses associated with injuries sustained at spectator violence at sporting events.
Our No Win No Fee structure allows you to concentrate on your day to day life and getting better without any financial worries of paying for legal representation. Signing a Conditional Fee Agreement or CFA means we can start work on your case straight away and the first thing we would do, is contact the defendant’s insurers to inform them of an impending personal injury claim.
We understand that being able to contact us is important which is why we keep our claims lines open 24-hours a day, 7-days a week throughout the year. A personal injury lawyer with years of experience will help gather all the information needed to file a successful claim.
We are recognised nationally and regulated both by The Law Society and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
How To Get In Contact With Our Teams
For a quick response to a personal injury claim, you can either call us directly free of charge on 0800 073 8804 or you can request a “call back” by filling it out the form. A personal injury lawyer would get back to you asap to answer any questions and queries you may have about a claim for a spectator accident or injury at a sporting event.
You can also send us an email at info@legalexpert.co.uk
Useful Links
Leisure centre compensation claims
This article provides useful information on claiming compensation for accidents that occur in leisure centres.
Here is our general guide to the personal injury claims process.
Find out more information on this matter.
Would you rather someone else pursue your claim on your behalf? This is possible. Find out how.
Sports Ground Safety Authority statistics
More crowd injury stats from previous football seasons.
You have a legal right to request CCTV footage of yourself.
