Stephen Matthews
Team Leader & Solicitor, Personal Injury
English
If you were seriously injured during sport or physical activity and believe it may have been caused by someone else's negligence or a failure to maintain a safe environment, you may be able to make a claim. Our specialists in Personal Injury claims can explain your options and help you understand the next steps.
Fill in the form below to get in touch with one of our dedicated team members, or call our team today on: 0800 260 5010
There is an accepted level of physical risk in almost every sport. Collisions, falls, and accidental injuries can occur even when everyone follows the rules. A claim is more likely to arise where an injury was caused by something outside the normal risks of the sport, such as a dangerous tackle, defective equipment, poor supervision, or unsafe facilities.
At Simpson Millar, our sports injury claim solicitors hold the Law Society's Personal Injury Accreditation and are members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). We have recovered substantial compensation for players, spectators, and sports facility users following injuries caused by someone else's failure to meet their legal obligations. As a firm, we are also recognised in the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
Call 0800 260 5010 or request a callback for a free initial claim assessment. We can discuss what happened, answer any questions you may have, and explain whether a No Win, No Fee agreement may be available. There is no obligation to proceed.
We have successfully represented clients who have been injured whilst participating in:
If the sport or circumstances are not listed, contact us to see if you might still be able to claim. For incidents that happen in a public venue, see our accident in a public place page.
Every sport has its own rules, its own governing body, and its own standards of care. The evidence needed to investigate a rugby tackle injury, for example, may be very different from that required in a claim involving defective gym equipment or unsafe facilities. Our Personal Injury Solicitors understand these differences and can help establish how the injury occurred and who may be responsible.
Our serious injury claims team can also coordinate specialist medical support and rehabilitation alongside your legal claim. Where liability is admitted, or is likely to be admitted, we can also seek interim payments to help fund treatment, rehabilitation, care, and other immediate needs before the claim concludes.
To talk to us about making a sports injury compensation claim, call 0800 260 5010 or use the callback form.
| Injury Category | Typical Description | General Damages Range (£) |
| Minor Injuries | Full recovery less than 7 days | A few hundred to £840 |
| Minor Injuries | Full recovery less than 28 days | £840-£1,680 |
| Minor Injuries | Full recovery less than 3 months | £1,680-£2,990 |
| Back Injuries | Minor (recovery within 3–12 months) | £2,990-£5,310 |
| Back Injuries | Moderate (muscle/ligament, long recovery) | £15,260-£33,880 |
| Back Injuries | Severe (disc/root damage, chronic pain) | £47,320-£196,450 |
| Brain & Head Injuries | Minor head/brain | £2,690-£15,980 |
| Brain & Head Injuries | Less severe ABI | £18,750-£52,550 |
| Brain & Head Injuries | Moderate ABI | £52,550-£267,340 |
| Brain & Head Injuries | Moderately severe ABI | £267,340-£344,150 |
| Brain & Head Injuries | Very severe ABI | £344,150-£493,000 |
| Orthopaedic Injuries | 6–7 month knee injury | £2,750 |
| Orthopaedic Injuries | Minor leg injury (few months) | £2,990 |
| Orthopaedic Injuries | 12 months wrist injury | £5,790 |
| Orthopaedic Injuries | 12 months elbow injury | £4,310 |
| Orthopaedic Injuries | Minor hip (full recovery) | £4,820 |
| Orthopaedic Injuries | Loss of both legs | £293,850-£344,150 |
| Spinal & Paralysis | Paraplegia | £267,340-£346,890 |
| Spinal & Paralysis | Tetraplegia | £396,140-£493,000 |
*ABI (Acquired brain injury)
Compensation amounts are taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (18th edition). These guidelines are used by courts, solicitors and insurers in England and Wales to assess compensation in personal injury claims.
Once we have taken your initial instructions, your claim will be passed to a Personal Injury Solicitor who specialises in the type of claim you are pursuing. We’ll then figure out who exactly is responsible for the injury you’ve suffered.
If the other party admits fault for the accident, your Personal Injury Lawyer will get your medical records and get you examined by a suitable medical professional. The expert will review your records, examine you and write a medico-legal report. This report will be written by either a doctor or another type of health professional, for legal proceedings. It’s an essential document when it comes to evidence, as it’ll be used to explain what your physical or mental injuries are. If you have more than one injury, you could be examined by multiple different experts.
When the medical evidence is finalised and your Personal Injury Solicitor has calculated how severeyour financial losses are, they will figure out the value of your claim and then advise you on the sum of the compensation settlement offer you should make to the other party. In some cases, your Personal Injury Solicitor might advise you to invite the defendant to make a settlement offer, instead of making one to them.
Ideally, the other party who is responsible for the injury you sustained will accept that they’re at fault or they’ll want to negotiate a settlement outside of Court.
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Yes, where defective or poorly maintained equipment contributed to an injury, a claim may be possible. Depending on the circumstances, responsibility may lie with a sports club, gym, school, venue operator, equipment provider, or another organisation responsible for maintaining a safe environment.
That depends on the circumstances of the accident. Responsibility may lie with an individual player, a sports club, a school, a local authority, a private gym or leisure operator, a venue, or a competition organiser.
Possibly. Sports venues have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to keep spectators safe. If you were injured because of unsafe seating, defective barriers, poor crowd management, objects entering spectator areas, or hazards on walkways, staircases, or concourses, you may be able to make a claim.
The circumstances of the accident will determine whether a claim is possible and who may be responsible.
Where a claimant contributed to their own injury, compensation is reduced in proportion to their share of the blame. That reduction is applied to the overall award. Many of our clients have recovered significant sums in cases where responsibility was divided.
Schools carry a duty of care to pupils that covers PE lessons, sports day activities, and after-school clubs. Proper supervision, equipment condition, the suitability of activities for the age group, and the management of injuries as they occur must be carefully coordinated. Where the evidence shows that an accepted standard of care was not met, it may be possible to make a claim.
Under the Limitation Act 1980, you will usually have three years from the date of the accident to start a claim.
Different rules can apply in some circumstances. For example, if the full extent of an injury only becomes apparent later, the three year time limit may begin from the date you first became aware that the condition was linked to the incident. For children, a parent or guardian can bring a claim on their behalf before they turn 18. If no claim has been made by then, they will usually have until their 21st birthday to bring a claim themselves.
Our Sports Injury Solicitors will examine all types of evidence, including:
Evidence requirements vary with the type of claim, and we guide you on what matters most in your specific case. We may also instruct an expert witness to provide evidence on your prognosis and long-term rehabilitation and care requirements.
Call 0800 260 5010 or request a callback. We offer a free, confidential claim assessment and can help you understand whether the circumstances of your injury fall outside the normal risks associated with the sport or activity. There is no obligation to proceed.
We're rated‘Excellent’
A young cyclist suffered catastrophic brain, spinal and other injuries after being hit by an uninsured driver, leaving him with chronic pain, reduced mobility and unable to pursue his planned career as a plumber. Our Road Traffic Accidents team brought a claim against the driver and the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, helping our client access ongoing rehabilitation, treatment and support while seeking substantial compensation for the life-changing impact of his injuries and future needs.
A No Win, No Fee agreement can allow someone to pursue a legal claim without paying upfront legal fees. This guide explains how No Win, No Fee arrangements work, what happens if a claim succeeds or fails, how success fees and other costs may be handled, and the role of After the Event insurance. It also explains when this type of funding may be available for personal injury and medical negligence claims.
After a devastating e-bike collision left a young rider with a severe traumatic brain injury and multiple life-changing injuries, Simpson Millar's Road Traffic Accidents team secured a £1.25 million settlement. The compensation provides long-term financial security, supports the client's ongoing rehabilitation and future needs, and reflects the lasting impact the injuries have had on his independence and everyday life.
Fill in the form below to get in touch with one of our dedicated team members, or call our team today on: 0800 260 5010
