Insurance tips, tricks and guidelines for club administrators – Case Study by Sportscover
There is nothing better than taking to the field to play the sport you love. However, for associations, clubs and officials playing your favourite game can quickly turn when a serious injury occurs on the field. Losses can arise from an individual’s medical expenses, personal income, care requirements and legal costs incurred if the matter escalates. The complexity and cost of attending to a claim is enormous not only for the individual involved, but for sporting clubs and associations as well. It is critical then that adequate cover is in place.
Over the 20 plus years Sportscover has provided specialist insurance for Touch Football, its Associations, Affiliate Clubs and members. Unfortunately, claims do occur from time to time as the sport is played on fields throughout the nation.
In one such incident during a game of Touch Football a player was injured while running towards the try line. He placed the ball on the try line, lost balance, stumbled for a period and fell, hitting his head on a pine log fence. The player was legally represented and his lawyers claimed that as a result of the incident he suffered facial fractures, head injury and scarring seeking damages in turn. Investigations into the incident and the playing field indicated that the distance from the try line to the pine railing (where the player was injured) measured 8 meters, with a try area of 3.0m and dead ball area of approximately 5.0m. It was the players’ position that this distance was inadequate. Critically, there were previous incidents involving players colliding with the wooden boundary fence and as such, it was argued that the Association and Club ought to have known that the distance was inadequate. The claim was settled in excess of $250,000.
This matter highlights the potential for high costs associated with litigation when serious injury occurs and why it is essential to have adequate cover. Failure to not have the right cover can be financially devastating for any Association or Club. From a risk management perspective, Clubs and Associations should ensure that line markings are appropriate prior to matches and that the match-day risk and ground assessment is well documented.
