Personal Injury Law Blogs

Hard Hats On! Critical Information for Keeping Safe on the Construction Site

Hard Hats On! Critical Information for Keeping Safe on the Construction Site

Construction site safety should be a priority for everyone. The company, the employees, even the delivery people should always have safety on their mind. The simple nature of a construction site makes it a dangerous place to be.

There are many laws and regulations in place that protect the workers and any personnel from injury on a construction site. According to www.construction-accident-attorney.net, the construction industry is responsible for more workplace injuries than any other occupation. These rules also help protect the company from liability if they are followed.

Most of the personal injuries that occur on a construction site are due to lack of following safety regulations. A quick look at some of the most common injury protections, and their associated regulations, should help everyone stay safe on a construction site.

• Fencing. Construction areas are required to be fenced off from the public. Erecting a fence helps prevent pedestrians, especially curious children, from wandering into dangerous areas. This fencing will also help prevent any type of theft at night. Failure to erect a fence can lead to heavy fines from the local municipalities and places the construction company at risk.

• Hard Hats. The Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that all workers in a construction setting use had hats to prevent head injuries. Since most construction consists of people working at many different heights all at one time, the head gear protects them from falling objects.

• Safety Glasses. Protective eyewear is another OSHA regulation that is meant to prevent injuries. Safety glasses block all types of airborne objects, including heavy construction dust, from injuring the eyes.

• Safe Equipment. Common equipment used in construction, such as scaffolding, cranes, and other large equipment is supposed to be maintenance and checked on a regular basis. These regulations are suggestions from OSHA. However, many local ordinances require that these items have inspection records that can be viewed at all times to ensure that the machinery is safe.

• Steel Toed Boots. All construction and manufacturing facilities are required to enforce a steel-toed boot policy. These boots, constructed to be slip-resistant, electrical shock resistant, and steel-toed are meant to provide employees with extra protection.

• Guarded Chemicals. Construction sites often have dangerous chemicals on them to use in the building process. This can include everything from diesel fuel for the equipment to industrial strength cleaners. These items must be kept in a specific place on the site and under supervision. OSHA requires that these items are kept in a container of some sort that can be locked. Local regulations may also have specific guidelines for dangerous chemicals.

Of course, there are always new regulations that come into the picture as time progresses and technologies change. It is very important for construction companies to continue to review their safety polices and verify that their current policies are in compliance with all regulations. Additionally, requiring employees to attend regular safety meetings is also very helpful in keeping a construction area safe for all those who work there.


Melanie Fleury had a brother that passed away in a work related incident and knows the emotional and financial trauma that this can cause. According to www.construction-accident-attorney.net, if a personal injury on a construction site has the potential to affect a person’s ability to work, or if a death of a loved one causes undue financial stress, then a lawyer should be sought to fight for compensation.

Kirklees Council facing large legal bill after personal injury claim

The Huddersfield Daily Examiner has reported that Kirklees Council will apparently have to pay a large amount in legal costs after one of its workers brought – and succeeded with – a personal injury claim against it.

Mrs Kaye, an employee at Kirklees Council, brought a claim for personal injury against her employer after she was injured at work in 2005.

Mrs Kaye, a gardener at the Council, was helping to load a bin into a lorry when the accident at work happened in 2005. She had been claiming over £300,000 in her personal injury claim but was awarded little more than £2,000 at the Dewsbury Crown Court in June. The insurers – who are liable for the costs of the Claimant, which are reported to run into tens of thousands of pounds – subsequently appealed the order that they pay the Claimant’s costs on the basis that Mrs Kaye had not received anything like the figure that she was claiming at court (mainly due to conflicting medical evidence). The case came to the Court of Appeal and the Court of Appeal rejected the insurers’ argument that they should not be responsible for the Claimant’s costs.

Lord Justice Jackson stated in the judgment that he believed that the substantial legal bill that the Council  was faced with could have been avoided if the Council had made a Part 36 offer prior to settle the case prior to it coming to court. He further stated: “I dread to think what costs were run up as this case proceeded towards trial. I much regret to see that no attempt was made by the appellant’s liability insurers to settle this action by making a modest offer.”

Marc Hadrill, a personal injury solicitor at Redmans, commented: “This case demonstrates the importance of both sides making active efforts to settle cases before they come to court – there are substantial cost and liability consequences to do so for both Claimants and Defendants in the majority of cases.”

Redmans Solicitors are unfair dismissal solicitors and no win no fee employment solicitors

A round-up of personal injury cases in the news this week – 19.08.2013 to 25.08.2013

In the first of our series on personal injury stories that have hit the news this week, we take a look at a number of health and safety cases that have hit the headlines since 19 August 2013. This includes a number of Health and Safety Executive prosecutions

Pirelli in court over injuries at Carlisle tyre factory

Tyre manufacturer Pirelli has appeared in court after an employee sustained major injuries to his left arm when it became trapped in a tyre-testing machine.

The 57-year-old from Carlisle, who has asked not to be named, broke his arm in three places, was off work for four months and still has difficulty moving his shoulder following the incident on 3 January 2012.

Worker could claim personal injury after faulty rope led to amputation for outdoors instructor

A Southampton firm was today prosecuted after an outdoors activity instructor was left permanently disabled when he used a defective rope for a simulated parachute landing.

Joshua Senior, 25, plunged some nine metres to the ground at the Rock (UK) adventure centre in Carroty Wood, near Tonbridge, Kent, on 25 August 2010. Instead of allowing Mr Senior to descend in a measured way, the rope supplied by Pfeifer Rope & Tackle Ltd simply unravelled as he stepped off a platform for a practice descent.

Vauxhall owner sentenced over Ellesmere Port death

The owner of Vauxhall has been fined £150,000 over the death of a long-serving worker who was crushed in machinery at its car factory in Ellesmere Port.

General Motors UK Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after Ian Heard was found at the North Road plant on 22 July 2010. The 59-year-old from Birkenhead, who joined Vauxhall as an apprentice at the age of 16, was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital where he died 11 days later.

Wallasey care home fined £40k over pneumonia risk

A private care home in Wallasey has been order to pay £40,000 in fines and costs after it failed to manage the risk of elderly residents catching a potentially fatal form of pneumonia.

Mother Redcaps Care Home Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after it failed to comply with an Improvement Notice to assess the risk from the legionella bacteria.

Fairground operator in court for ride collapse

A fairground operator has been fined for safety failings after 22 people, many of them children, were trapped when a poorly maintained ride collapsed.

All the passengers on the Surf Rider at Skegness Pleasure Beach had to be rescued by the fire service in the incident on 30 August 2011. Seven passengers were taken to hospital, with three of those being kept in overnight but allowed home the next day.

Redmans Solicitors are employment law solicitors who provide employment law advice to employees and employers

Famous tyre manufacturer fined over workplace injuries

The famous tyre manufacturer “Pirelli” has been fined by the Carlisle Magistrates’ Court after one of its workers suffered a serious injury at work because of health and safety lapses in one of its factory.

The accident occurred on 3 January 2012 when an un-named 57-year-old worker was working in Pirelli’s factory. He was working on a tyre-testing machine at the time and was attempting to fix a fault on the machine when the accident happened. He switched the machine onto manual mode and believed that he had fixed the problem. However, after two machines were manufactured the machine experienced another fault. Without thinking, the worker reached back into the machine to fix the problem and his arm became trapped. This resulted in the worker breaking his arm in three places and having to take four months off work to recuperate.

A subsequent Health and Safety Executive investigation into the accident found that there may have been a breach of health and safety regulations. It therefore recommended that Pirelli Tyres Ltd be charged with a breach of s.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 – that the company had failed in its duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees.

The matter came before the Carlisle Magistrates’ Court earlier this month. The court heard evidence and submissions from both tyres and Pirelli Tyres Ltd pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £20,000 by the Magistrates’ Court. The court also ordered that the firm pay £4,330 towards the costs of the prosecution.

It does not appear that Pirelli’s criminal defence solicitors commented after the hearing. It is also not known whether the un-named man has made a personal injury claim against Pirelli.

HSE Inspector Michael Griffiths said after the hearing: “The fault with the machine had occurred before, following previous Christmas breaks, but the company didn’t have a specific risk assessment in place to make sure it could be fixed safely. Although Pirelli did have written Safe Working Procedures, they were not effective because the employees were either unaware of them or weren’t following them, and no effort was made to check that the procedures were being followed.”

Redmans are unfair dismissal solicitors and no win no fee employment solicitors based in London

Southampton company heavily fined after Health and Safety Prosecution over serious injury

A Southampton-based company has been heavily fined by the Southampton Magistrates’ Court after a worker was seriously injured in the course of their employment.

Mr Joshua Senior, 25, was working for his employer, Pfiefer Rope & Tackle Ltd, at the Rock (UK) adventure centre in Kent on 25 August 2010 when the accident occurred. Mr Senior was preparing to undertake a practice parachute landing course and had ascended to the top of the tower in order to do so. However, the rope that Mr Senior had been supplied with was defective and as he made his descent it unravelled, causing him to drop almost thirty feet (nine metres) to the ground below. This resulted in his sustaining serious injuries to his back, including a broken back, and being paralysed from the waist down for almost six months. He slowly regained the use of his limbs in hospital over the six-month period and after a period of time had to have his right ankle amputated as the injury was so bad.

The Health and Safety Executive was notified of the accident and investigated the circumstances of the fall. This investigation resulted in a recommendation that the company be prosecuted for a potential breach of health and safety laws, namely s.3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 – that the company had failed to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees at work.

The case came before the Southampton Magistrates’ Court earlier this month and the company pleaded guilty to a breach of the above Act. The court therefore fined the company £20,000 and ordered it to pay the prosecution’s costs, which amounted to £6,348.

It is not currently known whether Mr Senior has claimed or will claim personal injury against the company. It is also not known whether the injured employee was able to return to work with the company or at all and, if so, in what capacity.

Marc Hadrill, a personal injury solicitor at law firm Redmans, commented: “Businesses in the United Kingdom have an obligation to comply with UK health and safety legislation, including a duty to ensure that all reasonably practicable measures are taken to minimize the risk to employees and third parties’ health, safety and welfare in the workplace.”

HSE Specialist Inspector Steve Simmons-Jacobs said after the judgment: “Rope and sling manufacturers have a duty to their customers and others to ensure that the product is suitable for the designed loads and that their quality control systems are robust and effective at all times. Companies must realise that their systems may be critical to the health and safety of the people who use their products.”

Direct 2 Lawyers can put you in touch with employment solicitors who offer employment law advice to employees and employers

Injuries After Running a Red Light Caught on Camera: What Are My Rights in Court?

Injuries After Running a Red Light Caught on Camera: What Are My Rights in Court?

If you cause an accident by running a red light, it is assumable that the Court will find you “at fault” for the accident. This type of ruling has been pretty standard until the implementation of red light cameras. Now, due to the large controversy surrounding these traffic control devices, fault is harder to prove because there is speculation whether the ticket is valid.

Understanding Camera Issued Red Light Citations

Local and state authorities assume that a red light camera is infallible. If a car is caught running a red light, a ticket is issued to the registered owner of the car. The authorities are not interested in who was driving the car, or what the reasons were behind the car not stopping. It is their legal assumption to believe that the car was being driven by the registered owner.

However, there are many instances where this is not the case and the owners of the car wish to fight the ticket. These owners are required to let the payment time elapse to pay the ticket and have the State issue a citation. Only when this second citation is issued can the owner of the car fight the ticket.

When the owner of the car goes to Court, the burden of proof lays entirely on them. They must prove that they were not responsible for going through the red light, and that the citation is invalid because it was issued to the wrong person. This may sound impossible to do, but an experienced traffic ticket attorney, such as a Florida traffic lawyer, will help to handle this type of case with ease.

How This Impacts Personal Injury Cases

Many people would assume if a person who caused the accident was issued a camera red light citation, that the burden of proof had been made for the responsibility of the accident. Now, however, a person can fight these tickets and be absolved of responsibility for running the red light. If this happens, there will be a question as to whether or not the person can then be cited as responsible for causing the car accident.

Having the red light ticket thrown out in traffic court could effectively have the negligence charges for the accident also dismissed.

Why You Need A Traffic Ticket Lawyer

Being held as the responsible party for a car accident can be financially devastating. You risk being sued personally, above what your insurer is being sued for at the time. You also can expect very large legal bills and potential financial problems in the future.

Fighting this red light traffic ticket, however, can be the key to proving you are not responsible for the accident. Not only will you be absolved of having to pay the very large fine associated with the ticket, the accident would have to revert to a no-fault case and you would be protected from financial ruin. Additionally, having this ticket dismissed will also help prevent you from having points attached to your license or having your insurance premiums increase because you are now seen as a higher risk.

Going to court for running a red light and causing an accident is a stressful event, but can be made simpler by understanding the above information. If you were not the one driving, you must provide the necessary proof. It is crucial that you defend yourself if you were not the driver to protect yourself from financial burdens.


M.J. Collins knows how stressful it can be to go to court for something that is not your fault. She has learned that Katz &  Phillips, P.A., a Florida traffic lawyer, can make the going easier and provide more support for your case.

 

Had A Car Accident With A Pedestrian? Here’s What You Should Know

According to the US Department of Transportation, as many as 4432 pedestrians were killed in 2011 in traffic accidents across the country. Children and older adults, particularly, are more likely to become victims of car-pedestrian accidents. On an average, there’s one pedestrian injured every 8 minutes and one death occurs every two hours. With the growth in number of cars, pedestrians certainly face more risk of becoming accident victims. One of the main reasons why such accidents happen is either the driver or pedestrian is alcohol-impaired. No matter what the cause is, car-pedestrian accidents can be actually very complex to deal with because determining who’s at fault is not easy. So, let’s understand what all the things one needs to know if he/she is involved in such an accident.

Car-pedestrian accidents can be really nasty especially if the car hits a person at 30 miles per hour speed. This can actually result in permanent disability or sometimes death too. Car drivers must therefore, know what he/she should, ideally, do when encountered with such a situation. Instead of fleeing the accident scene, it’s better to take control of the situation and focus on the following.

  • Make sure the person hit in the accident is safe. Immediately get in touch with any of the medical services provider to ensure that the injuries are not severe. Safety always comes first.
  • Don’t hesitate to call the police and auto insurance provider. If you are likely to be charged with a criminal act, don’t forget to consult your attorney. Be very honest and give a true account of how the accident happened.
  • Furthermore, never give any public statements and avoid too much of an interaction with the pedestrian including his/her family members. Never say things like, ‘I am guilty’. It could lead to a personal injury lawsuit. Also, don’t make any statements to the injured party’s insurance service provider. All you need to do is just exchange the required contact information.

Who is to be blamed?

Many of us still believe that if a car hits a pedestrian, it’s always the driver who’s at fault. However, this is not always the case. In such cases, the law of negligence helps decide who’s at fault. Generally speaking, a person who failed to exercise reasonable care when the accident happened may be termed as negligent. In many circumstances, both the parties can be negligent. Consider this situation. A driver is driving at a speed more than the stipulated limit and a pedestrian illegally crosses the street and meets with the accident. These cases are very complex and handled in a different manner. Laws, too, differ state by state.

There are states which follow the ‘Comparative Fault’ rule wherein even if the pedestrian is to be blamed partly for the accident, he/she is entitled for compensation from the driver and his insurance services provider. For instance, let’s say if a pedestrian is 30% at fault for the accident, then he/she will be compensated for only 70% of the damages. Furthermore, there are states that follow the ‘modified comparative fault’ rule.

Herein, let’s say a pedestrian is more than 50% at fault for the accident. In such cases, he/she will not be able to recover the damages. Then there are states such as Virginia and Maryland which follow the ‘Pure Contributory Negligence’ rule. Herein, a pedestrian is not entitled to recover damages if he/she contributed to the accident slightly. Learn more about the contributory and comparative negligence here.

Here are some instances, when the pedestrian can be blamed for the accident

  • Crossing the road and not following the traffic control signals
  • Jaywalking/crossing outside the cross walk
  • Walking along bridges, highways, and freeways where pedestrians are not allowed
  • Crossing roads without traffic controls

Liability

If you have injured a pedestrian in a car accident, you can be charged with both civil and criminal liability. When it comes to civil liability, the injured party has full rights to sue you for recovering damages which includes lost wages, medical expenses, pain & suffering, etc. Criminal liability includes the rights of the injured party to sue you for driving under influence, hit and run etc. It is important to remember that, if you are held for criminal charges, the consequence can be very serious. It includes paying hefty fines and serving a jail term as well.

Insurance Payment

An injured pedestrian has full rights to claim payment against your auto liability insurance policy. Majority of the states in US make it mandatory for car owners to have liability insurance in order to cover injuries/damages to third parties. The recovery, however, to a large extent depends on the party who was at fault. What’s more, the payment can also be made under the No-Fault Coverage.

There are some states in the US that make it necessary for insurance services providers to make payments for lost wages and medical bills of their policyholders. This is often called as Personal Injury Protection or PIP. In these states, laws require a driver’s insurance services provider to make payment for the pedestrian’s injuries up to the PIP limit even though it was the pedestrian who was at fault.

Furthermore, there might be exceptions to this payment option as well. For instance, if an injured pedestrian resides in New Jersey, he/she might get paid for the damages and injuries out of Unsatisfied Claim and Judgment Fund, a state-mandated fund.

Car-pedestrian accidents, sometimes, can be very difficult to handle. Therefore, it’s always recommended for you to consult an experienced attorney in your area before making any statements. It is important to gather as much evidence as you can at the time of accident and document the entire events that took place. It is equally important to co-operate with law enforcement officials rather than involving yourself in a brawl. So next time, you are involved in such an accident do consider the above discussed points.

Why Is It Important To Have Full Tort, Not Limited Tort, On My Pennsylvania Car Insurance?

In 1990, the Pennsylvania legislature created the Limited Tort vs. Full Tort election for the purpose of decreasing car insurance costs.  Before such an election was created, anyone injured in a Pennsylvania car accident retained the right to seek full compensation for any injuries and damages from the driver responsible for causing the accident.  With the change in the law, the Pennsylvania legislature allowed the purchaser of car insurance to pay lower car insurance premiums by selecting Limited Tort.  The tradeoff, however, was limited legal rights to be compensated in the event of a car accident.  Specifically, the election of Limited Tort led to a waiver of the right to seek certain types of compensation, unless the injury was deemed “serious” or other exceptions to Limited Tort applied.

A person who elects Full Tort car insurance preserves legal rights to seek compensation in the event of a car accident.  A person covered under Full Tort can seek both economic and non-economic damages from another driver who causes a car accident.  Economic damages would include things like unpaid medical bills, lost wages or out-of-pocket expenses.  Non-economic damages would include damages such as compensation for pain and suffering and emotional distress.  If Full Tort is elected, none of your legal rights are sacrificed.

A person who elects Limited Tort compromises legal rights in exchange for lower insurance premiums.  A person covered under Limited Tort is able to recover economic damages (medical bills, lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses) from the driver responsible for a car accident.  However, non-economic damages (pain and suffering and emotional distress) cannot be recovered unless there is a “serious injury” or other exceptions apply.  Since the threshold for establishing a “serious injury” is high, injured people are often precluded from recovering non-economic damages because of the Limited Tort election.

You have to be careful when deciding between full and limited tort insurance. It may not worth the savings in car insurance premiums to sacrifice your legal rights by electing Limited Tort.  Instead, it may be safer for Pennsylvania policyholders to select Full Tort coverage.

For more information on car insurance choices, as well as Pennsylvania car accident or Personal Injury cases, contact Tim Rayne at 610-840-0124 or trayne@macelree.com, or check out Tim’s website at http://www.timraynelaw.com.  Tim has offices in Kennett Square and West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Things to Look for When Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

You find yourself in a situation in which you have to find the best personal injury attorney. You want to make sure you choose the best one you have access to. Not only a personal injury attorney well versed in this area of law, but that understands your particular situation and will act with your best interest in mind first and foremost. A reasonable request; after all, hiring the right attorney can make a dramatic difference in the outcome of your case. If dealing with personal injury, you could find that you struggle to defend yourself in court without a skilled personal injury attorney on your side. Many people are not aware of the deadline requirements for court documents. If you are concerned about the cost of representation, it is important to meet with several different attorneys to discuss your case. You need to find an attorney that believes in your case and provides payment arrangements that work well for your situation. Here are some things to look for when hiring the right personal injury attorney.

Initial Consultation

To learn if you even have a valid case, it helps to consult with an attorney like Bob Bratt. Most personal injury attorneys will provide a free initial consultation. This brief meeting will cover the validity of your case and help you determine if worth pursuing. The attorney will go over the case, costs and outcomes you can expect.

Experience

When seeking an attorney, look for one with experience. It is vital to your case to find a person that understands the local laws, court system and your particular personal injury case. You need to find someone that has dealt with similar cases and has achieved positive outcomes. The Association of Corporate Counsel recommends asking an attorney how many other cases they are currently working on to determine if they have enough time to devote to your case.

Case Options

The good thing about working with an attorney is that they are able to negotiate with insurance companies. You do not always need to take your case to court. The attorney will work hard on getting the insurance company to settle your claim for a fair price. It is important that you discuss different settlement options and find out how long it will take before you see money from the settlement. Taking the case to court can take a long time. A good attorney will be able to give you a realistic timeframe for how long it will take before your case is finally complete.

It is also important to discuss options in the event that you do not win your case. Many people do not understand that they need to pay back their insurance company if they win a personal injury case. Your insurance company will ask for payment on all the medical bills they paid. Your attorney will need to work with these insurance companies to focus on getting them to reduce the required payment amount so you can gain as much money as possible from the settlement.

Fees and Expenses

An attorney may take on the case using a contingency fee. This means they will not be paid until you receive money from your settlement. Essentially they are working for free until you are paid. This can be a great option, since it shows the attorney is motivated to win the case. Discuss different expenses with each prospective attorney so you know if there are other things you need to pay for. Always read the contract before hiring an attorney to know you are getting the best treatment and representation possible.

Phillip Richardson is a freelance writer who normally contributes material on legal issues such as Personal Injury, Mesothelioma Lawsuits, Asbestos Litigation, Criminal Defense and other areas as well; those who’d like to learn more about these legal topics should visit Shrader Law.

The Most Common Injuries Suffered by NBA Players

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a wonderful sports league; but like any high level of sports, injuries are commonplace. Even though basketball is not the contact sport that, say, football is, injuries are still a daily occurrence in professional basketball. It is not hard to understand why: extremely athletic players are accelerating, breaking, and turning at sharp angles as quickly as they can. Bodies fly through the air and collide, before returning to a hard wooden surface filled with other people’s feet to harshly land on. Watch a game sometime and you’ll see that it’s quite the minefield out there! So, with injuries being frequent, you might wonder what are the most common injuries? Well, we’ve got the answer:

Sprained ankle

The sprained ankle is the most typical basketball injury at any level.  Players are cutting back and forth, with puts extreme pressure on ankles, which are not strong to begin with.  Players also frequently land on each other’s feet, which rolls the ankle in a very dangerous way.  Simply put, ankles are the most fragile commodity on the basketball court.  Studies prove this, showing that ankle sprains are the most common injury in the NBA (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445097/).

Patellofemoral inflammation

Patellofemoral inflammation is a pretty fancy way of saying “knee pain.”  Because basketball players are constantly running and jumping up and down on a hard surface, they put a lot of pressure on their knees.  This repeated pressure softens the knee cartilage, causing the kneecap and the femur to grind against each other, resulting in both pain and limited movement.  This is, understandably, a common NBA ailment because it occurs so naturally (but can also occur because of collisions, or the tightening of other leg muscles).  While sprained ankles are the most common NBA injury, studies show that patellofemoral inflammation is the injury that causes NBA players to miss the most games (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445097/).  This is because it is difficult to hide, or to expedite the recovery process, whereas with a sprained ankle the player can tightly wrap tape around the injury and often continue playing.

Torn ACL

A torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) is not nearly as common as the first two injuries, but it is very severe, and basketball players live in fear of it because it can both happen easily, and end a player’s career.  An ACL is one of the four main ligaments connecting the shin to the femur, and thus it is necessary for all athletic movement.  A torn ACL can occur when a player lands awkwardly on the ground, or when he gets his leg trapped under another player, and bent sideways or backwards.  A torn ACL is excruciatingly painful, and usually takes 8-12 months for an NBA player to fully recover from (http://www.nba.com/nbafit/teen/nutrition_fitness_center/sports/76301_anterior_cruciate_ligament_ac.html).

Broken nose

Things get rough under the hoop in the NBA, and noses get broken.  A bunch of tall strong men battle for the basketball, push and shove each other, and throw elbows to create space.  It’s not surprising that those elbows often connect with other people’s faces.  Many post players in the NBA suffer multiple broken noses throughout their career, but, thankfully for them, it’s not an injury that usually slows players down.

These are just some of the many common NBA injuries.  With players pushing athletic boundaries, colliding with one another, and running across the floor with reckless abandon, the regularity and diversity of injuries in the league is pretty astounding.

Byline

Robert Pendleton focuses on a variety of legal topics such as Patent Law, Pro Sports Injury Cases, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Civil Procedure and other topics as well.