Do I have a case if my child was injured playing sports?

Reviewed By: The Spiros Law Team | Last Reviewed & Updated: September 24, 2026

ABC News reported that according to federal public health surveillance, sports- and recreation-related activities account for nearly 40% of all injury-related emergency department visits for youth ages 5 to 14. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and pediatric health organizations indicate that approximately 3.5 million children and teens sustain sports injuries each year, with hundreds of thousands of young athletes requiring acute care in hospital emergency rooms.

While youth sports involve an inherent assumption of risk, school administrators, leagues, coaches, and equipment manufacturers have a legal duty to provide a reasonably safe environment. When negligence or reckless behavior leads to preventable harm, injured athletes and their families have the right to seek accountability.

Sports with High Pediatric Injury Volumes

Surveillance data compiled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) through the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) identifies the following activities among the leading contributors to emergency room treatment for youth ages 5 to 14:

• Bicycling
• Football
• Basketball
• Baseball and Softball
• Soccer
• Trampolines
• Snow Skiing and Snowboarding
• Ice Hockey

Common Types of Youth Sports Injuries

Because young athletes are still developing—with open growth plates and changing musculoskeletal dynamics—their injury profiles differ significantly from adults. The most frequent youth sports injuries include:

• Acute Soft-Tissue Injuries: Muscle strains, ligament sprains (such as ankle sprains or knee sprains), and severe contusions.
• Fractures and Growth Plate Trauma: Bone breaks and physeal (growth plate) fractures, which require careful orthopedic intervention to avoid developmental complications.
• Overuse Injuries: Stress fractures, shin splints, tendonitis, and apophyseal conditions (such as Sever’s disease or Osgood-Schlatter disease) resulting from repetitive motion and insufficient rest.
• Knee Ligament Tears: ACL or MCL sprains and tears, often resulting from sudden deceleration, pivoting, or collisions.
• Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): Mild TBIs and concussions remain among the most critical risks in youth athletics. A young athlete does not need to lose consciousness to have sustained a concussion. Continuing to play while symptomatic can lead to cumulative trauma, prolonged recovery, or second-impact syndrome.
• Catastrophic Trauma (Rare but Severe): While less common, severe cervical spine injuries and spinal cord trauma can occur in high-impact collision sports if proper safety protocols and tackling techniques are not strictly enforced.

Who Is Liable for a Youth Sports Injury?

Parents often worry that signing a liability waiver or consent form prevents them from taking legal action. While a waiver acknowledges standard risks inherent to athletic competition, it does not excuse gross negligence, recklessness, intentional misconduct, or institutional failure to follow recognized safety mandates.

A school, league, or athletic association may be liable if an injury resulted from failures such as:

• Coaching Negligence and Overtraining: Pushing an athlete beyond safe physical limits, ignoring severe environmental conditions (such as heat illness protocols), or requiring drills that mandate dangerous, prohibited techniques.
• Concussion Protocol Violations: Failing to remove an athlete from play after a suspected head injury, or violating state-mandated “return-to-play” medical clearance guidelines.
• Failure to Provide Immediate Medical Aid: Delaying emergency medical attention or leaving a visibly injured child unattended.
• Defective or Inadequate Safety Gear: Supplying damaged, outdated, or improperly fitted helmets, pads, and protective equipment.
• Unsafe Playing Conditions: Maintaining hazardous fields, poorly surfaced courts, unpadded gymnasium walls, or loose field equipment (such as unanchored soccer goals).
• Failure to Supervise: Allowing unsanctioned physical violence, bullying, or dangerous play that falls outside the official rules of the game.

Did Your Child Suffer a Youth Sports Injury in Illinois? Contact Spiros Law

If your child suffered a serious injury due to the negligence of a coach, school, athletic league, or equipment manufacturer, you have the right to seek justice and fair financial recovery. Holding negligent parties accountable is essential for your family’s medical needs and helps ensure safer playing conditions for all young athletes.

Let our legal team manage the investigation, evidence gathering, and claims process while you focus on your child’s recovery. Contact the personal injury attorneys at Spiros Law for a free, confidential consultation.

Free Consultation | 100% Confidential | No Obligation to Hire: Contact Us For A Free Case Review

Common Questions

Waivers and Assumption of Risk

Can I still pursue a claim if I signed a permission slip or liability waiver?

Possibly. Signing a waiver does not necessarily prevent a child from pursuing a claim after a sports injury. The effect of a waiver depends on its language, the circumstances of the injury, and the conduct that caused the harm. Certain claims involving reckless or intentional conduct may not be protected by a waiver.

Spiros Law can review the waiver, investigate how the injury occurred, and determine whether the document may affect your child’s potential claim. Our attorneys can also examine whether unsafe conditions, defective equipment, inadequate supervision, or other conduct contributed to the injury.

Does my child automatically assume the risk of getting hurt because they play sports?

No. Participating in a sport can involve ordinary risks that athletes and parents understand when they choose to participate. That does not necessarily mean a child assumed every risk associated with the activity.

Spiros Law can evaluate whether the injury resulted from an ordinary part of the sport or from conduct that may have created an unreasonable and preventable danger. This can include reviewing supervision, equipment, playing conditions, safety procedures, and the actions of coaches or other responsible parties.

Concussions and Safety Violations

What if a coach put my child back in the game after a suspected concussion?

Illinois has specific requirements governing the removal and return to play of student athletes with suspected concussions. The Illinois Youth Sports Concussion Safety Act addresses when an athlete must be removed from play and the requirements for returning to athletic activity.

Spiros Law can review what happened before and after the suspected concussion, including whether appropriate safety procedures were followed and whether your child’s symptoms were documented. Our attorneys can evaluate whether a failure to follow applicable concussion requirements may support a legal claim.

What if my child’s sports injury was caused by unsafe equipment or field conditions?

A sports injury may involve more than the ordinary risks of athletic participation when defective equipment, dangerous premises, inadequate maintenance, or other preventable conditions contributed to the injury.

Spiros Law can investigate the equipment and playing environment, identify potentially responsible parties, and review maintenance records, inspection information, photographs, witness accounts, and other evidence that may help establish how the injury occurred.

Coaches, Schools, and Youth Organizations

Will pursuing a youth sports injury claim personally harm our child’s coach or volunteer?

Not necessarily. A potential claim may involve insurance coverage held by a school, league, organization, or other responsible party rather than simply seeking payment from an individual coach.

Spiros Law can identify the parties involved, determine what insurance or other coverage may apply, and evaluate who may have legal responsibility for your child’s injuries. This allows your family to understand its options without assuming that pursuing a claim means personally targeting a coach or volunteer.

Can I pursue a claim if my child’s injury happened at an Illinois public school?

Potentially. Claims involving Illinois public schools can be subject to the Illinois Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act and other rules that may affect liability, damages, and filing deadlines.

Spiros Law can determine whether governmental immunity provisions apply, identify applicable deadlines, and evaluate whether the facts support a claim. Because special rules can apply to public entities, contacting an attorney promptly can help protect your family’s legal options.

Long-Term Injuries and Future Medical Care

Why should I speak with an attorney if my child’s sports injury appears to be healing?

Some childhood and adolescent injuries can have effects that are not immediately apparent. Growth plate injuries, ligament damage, fractures, and certain head injuries may require continued monitoring or treatment even after the initial emergency care.

Spiros Law can review your child’s medical records and treatment recommendations and consider potential future medical needs when evaluating a claim. This can help your family understand the potential long-term impact before accepting a settlement or signing a release.

What if my child’s doctor says the injury could affect their growth or require future treatment?

That possibility may be important when evaluating a claim. A child’s future medical needs can depend on the type of injury, age, development, treatment, and medical prognosis.

Spiros Law can work with the available medical evidence to evaluate future treatment, rehabilitation, or other injury-related needs. Our attorneys can help determine whether additional information or medical evaluation is needed before a claim is resolved.

Legal Fees and Getting Started

How much does it cost to have Spiros Law review my child’s sports injury?

The initial case review is free and confidential. For qualifying personal injury claims, Spiros Law may handle the matter on a contingency fee basis, meaning you generally do not pay attorney fees upfront.

The specific fee arrangement and case expenses will be explained before representation begins. If the firm accepts your case, your family will understand the financial terms before moving forward.

Disclaimer: This website is for general information only and does not provide legal advice. Viewing this site or contacting Spiros Law does not create an attorney–client relationship. An attorney–client relationship is formed only by a signed written agreement. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different and depends on its specific facts and law. This site may be considered attorney advertising. Spiros Law practices law in Illinois.