For those who are so inclined, there’s nothing better than a long run or bike ride on a beautiful Bellingham spring day. It clears the mental cobwebs and is a fun solo or social activity. Plus, it keeps your heart ticking strong. But activities like this do carry some risk of personal injury. Sports related personal injuries are on the rise, and part of this is traced to a rather active older generation, the baby boomers. In fact, according to figures provided by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, boomers were well ahead of younger groups when it came to strains and sprains, reports the New York Times. There is something called the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System that reported over 500,000 injuries just for basketball (oh, those knees!), and another two million attributed to bicycling, football, and other sports. And this is, of course, if you’re injured not by getting run over by a car when you are chasing after a ball bouncing out of bounds.
One of the most common sports injury risks is from bicycling. More deaths due to head injuries occur while riding a bike than any other sport. Not surprising, considering how fast bicycles can go, often alongside cars and trucks going much faster. Cyclists are protected by little more than some foam and plastic in between them and the fenders, hoods, and windshields also hurling down the street. Then there are the other, non-fatal types of accidents one could get into on a bike: feet tangling in spokes, pants in chains, or mistakes due to inexperience or distraction. The next set of highest sports-related fatalities clock in with skiing and drowning while swimming.
Basketball is so hard on the body with all the jumping and physical aspects of the sport. Players can trip and fall, and often crash into each other. Eyes and noses are at risk when a bunch of players go for the ball under the net, with elbows and shoulders all over the place. Common injuries b-ballers can limp off the court with are cut hands, broken fingers, sprained ankles, broken legs, busted knees, and eye and head injuries.
Football has been in the news a lot lately, highly scrutinized for the danger of concussions and TBI it entails. Head injuries are serious, and the more they are studied, the more scientists and doctors caution us to avoid them. Particularly when loss of consciousness is involved, TBI can have short term and long term affects, and be very difficult to diagnose and treat. Long term brain damage from concussions can increase the risk of strokes, paralysis, headaches, alongside reduced mental acuity and emotional regulation. If you or a loved one experience a blow to the head, be on the lookout for symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, confusion, irritability and memory loss. The risks are serious enough that many avoid sports that carry a high level of risk of head injury, such as football, soccer, boxing, ice hockey, and MMA. Not even helmets and other safety gear can truly protect against the dangers present.
If you or a loved one experienced an injury from a sport, you may have a case. Not all playing fields are level, so to speak. I have many years’ experience as a personal injury attorney practicing in Bellingham, and work to get insurance claims paid quickly and fully. Read my client testimonials and some of their stories, and call me if you want to talk about what happened to you. You can reach me at 360-303-0601 or click the chat button or contact me form through this site.