Injury Liability in the NBA: a Serious ‘Workplace Injury’

While a certain number of physical injuries are expected when it comes to professional sports, the issue has now become a matter of liability when it comes to NBA (basketball) injuries. Players who experience serious injuries are reportedly continuing to play until the issue progresses to destroying their career and chances of playing at all during the season.

The injury numbers for this season are anything but insignificant: As of early February, there were just under 4,000 games missed due to injury, a 42 percent increase from last season. Could this be random bad luck, or the product of something more serious?

Is The NBA Causing These Injuries?

Many believe that it isn’t just random coincidence: In fact, it could be a product of changes to the season schedule and training in particular that could be the root of the problem. The game schedule has stretched out, training camp curtailed by 10 days, and preseason games cut in half, leaving players with significantly less time for conditioning and preparation and a higher vulnerability to getting leg injuries in particular.

Is the NBA Headed For A Similar Fate As The NFL Regarding Player Injuries?

The NFL (football) has already entered into a collective bargaining agreement calling for strict limits on offseason practices and reduced hitting allowed during practice due to the significant brain injuries associated with playing the sport.

Is basketball headed for a similar fate? The NBA is reportedly playing faster than it has in more than two decades—even if the same number of studies documenting more and more injuries haven’t yet been completed as they have for sports such as football. In addition, according to the experts, basketball—even if it does not involve the same player-on-player impacts as football—is the most demanding sport of them all, exacting more and wear and tear overall to players’ bodies over time. The statistics indicate that this problem won’t be going away anytime soon—especially if the greatest predictor of future injury is prior injury. It is incumbent upon the league to take a hard look on how to ensure that players are healthy, moving forward.

Product Liability Issues As Well?

A new study just published in PLOS ONE also found that a device that is popular amongst basketball players for supposedly preventing injuries in fact may not necessarily work as well as advertised. The device was even among the list of technology approved by the players union in the 2017 NBA collective bargaining agreement.

Florida Workplace & Personal Injury Attorneys

If you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, speaking with an experienced personal injury attorney can help ensure that you are protected and not placed in additional danger that could destroy your life and career. Contact our Florida personal injury attorneys at Friedland & Associates today to find out how we can help.

Resources:

bleacherreport.com/articles/2758891-nba-injuries-are-higher-than-ever-leaving-league-wrestling-with-whos-to-blame

researchgate.net/publication/323019725_Validity_and_reliability_of_an_accelerometer-based_player_tracking_device