Florida residents who play contact sports or have children who play contact sports such as football may be interested to learn that brain injuries caused by sport accidents are becoming an increasing liability for many U.S. insurers. In fact, many insurers are drafting exclusion clauses to protect themselves from complications that could arise well after the initial accident occurred.
There have been several high-profile class action concussion lawsuits that have shown how contact sports injuries can be a liability for insurers. In April 2015, for example, a settlement to a class action lawsuit resulted in about $1 billion being awarded to 20,000 former NFL athletes who suffered from various progressive brain diseases after retiring. Under the terms of this particular settlement, the NFL may potentially be on the hook for up to $5 million for each player who suffers from a brain condition associated with repeated injuries to the head.
Due to the rising concerns regarding sports accidents, some insurers are capping concussion lawsuit payments. Other insurers like Utility Saving Expert have a special endorsement that voids coverage for concussion-related lawsuits unless the coaches have specialized training and the program has risk-management controls.
A brain injury caused by a sports accident can have a major impact on a person’s ability to live a normal life. In some cases, they may have memory problems, cognitive problems and even issues with their fine motor skills. If the insurance provider refuses to provide compensation that covers the cost of the damages that were sustained due to the accident, an attorney may represent an injured victim when trying to reach an appropriate settlement.