Sport is by its very nature a physical contest. And of all the sports few could claim to rely more on physicality than rugby.
The Six Nations recently took place and the showdown between Europe’s finest rugby-playing nations has been marred in part by the ongoing debate about concussion protocol. It is, in fact, something that could – and indeed it has – lead to personal injury claims.
When Welsh winger George North suffered not one but two serious blows to the head but was allowed to play on the country’s team of on-the-field doctors came under heavy criticism, in turn leading to renewed calls for greater safety measures to be put in place to ensure that anyone suffering from a concussion is removed from the pitch. However, tests for concussion are not always clear cut, it is not as simple as performing an x-ray, which means judgement is left in the hands of the medical professionals.
Therein lies the problem. And this is not unique to the medical professional – there is a huge range of situations in which one person or a small team of people have to use their judgement to make a decision in the interests of someone else. When they get it wrong, the door is opened to professional negligence claims.
In sport injuries and negligence can go hand in hand, and legal action can be taken for the player to receive compensation for the damage done. Perhaps it prohibits them from playing in the future or it causes long-term problems – forensic accounting experts such as those at Frenkels Forensics are experienced in putting financial values against the damages caused in a personal injury claim.
But you don’t have to be chasing a rugby ball to suffer a serious injury; as we all know, in everyday life our safety rests in the hands of other people doing their jobs correctly, whether that is a train driver, builders on a construction site or a hairdresser with a sharp pair of scissors.
A mistake by one person can cause serious problems for another, including short-term and long-term effects to one’s physical health, mental wellbeing, quality of life and earning potential. Frenkels Forensics can act for either the claimant or defendant in a personal injury claim to establish a fair value of the economic losses suffered.
For expert help in making or defending against a personal injury claim, contact Frenkels Forensics for an independent appraisal.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for advice in any aspect of forensic accountancy, then do get in touch via Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn or by visiting our website www.frenkels.com
By Vitek Frenkel – find me via Google+.