Amateur footballer wins compensation claim

Posted 17/06/2009

A compensation claim from an amateur footballer who was injured while playing a match has been successful.

The 29-year-old sportsman was playing a game at the JJB Sports Soccer Dome in Derbyshire five years ago when he slipped in a tackle.

He suffered fractures to his tibia and shinbone during the incident, and was unable to work or play sport for almost four months, reports the Derby Telegraph.

The player argued that the accident only happened because the pitch was covered in standing water and was therefore unplayable, but staff at the ground had insisted that the game should go ahead.

Kevin Bampton, head of law at the University of Derby, commented: “It’s a major sports company which should have known about the risks involved.

“An amateur footballer isn’t going to know about the full potential for injury.”

However, he added that the £13,000 awarded to the player is a relatively small compensation package, considering the financial impact of being off work and undergoing physiotherapy.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail has reported that celebrities who participated in a recent BBC television show are taking legal advice regarding a compensation claim.

Cleo Rocos and Kevin Adams sustained injuries in the Total Wipeout programme, although production company Endemol has insisted that health and safety is its main priority.