Sports, Recreation and Exercise Case Overviews

A description of eight sports accident scenarios and some of the related issues:

1. Skiing Accident
2. Gym Equipment Injury
3. Pole-vaulting Accident
4. Playground Equipment Accident
5. Rollerblading Accident
6. Water Skiing Accident
7. High-speed Boat Accident
8. Jet Ski Accident

Scenario 1: Skiing Accident

A male was skiing down a slope when he lost control, hit an obstacle, and sustained a severe chest injury.

Issues:

• What is the mechanism of injury?
  
• Did the skier or ski equipment contribute to the accident?
  
• Did the ski site factors contribute to the accident?
  
• Could the accident have been prevented and, if so, how?
  

Scenario 2: Gym Equipment Injury

A female was working out on a piece of gym equipment and suffered a herniated lumbar disc.

Issues:

• What was the mechanism of injury?
  
• Was the equipment defective in design or manufacture?
  
• Were appropriate warnings, if applicable, available?
  
• Did the injured party contribute in part or fully to the cause of the accident?
  

Scenario 3: Pole-vaulting Accident

A young male pole-vaulter missed the landing pad on one vault and fell to the ground, sustaining a severe pelvic injury.

Issues:

• What was the mechanism of injury?
  
• Was the equipment and facility faulty in design, manufacture, or layout?
  
• Was there appropriate training and warnings for the vaulter?
  
• Did the vaulter contribute to the accident and, if so, how?
  

Scenario 4: Playground Equipment Accident

A young child was playing on a bar construction on a playground when he fell to the ground and sustained a serious closed head injury.

Issues:

• What was the mechanism of injury?
  
• Was the design, manufacture, or layout of the equipment faulty, or contribute to the accident in any way?
  
• Was there appropriate training, supervision, and warnings?
  
• Was the surface of the playground appropriate for the level of playground activity?
  
• Did the child contribute to the accident and, if so, how?
  

Scenario 5: Rollerblading Accident

A young female was rollerblading when she tripped, fell, and sustained serious arm and knee fractures.

Issues:

• What were the kinematics and mechanism of injury?
  
• Was the protective clothing appropriate and adequate?
  
• Were the rollerblades and protective equipment (if used) correctly designed and manufactured?
  
• Did the skater have adequate training, experience and warning?
  
• Was the scene defective in design or manufacture?
  

Scenario 6: Water Skiing Accident

A young woman was water skiing when she lost her balance, hit the water, and sustained a fractured neck with quadriplegia.

Issues:

• What was the mechanism of injury?
  
• Did the ski or tow equipment contribute to the accident?
  
• Did the victim or the boat operator contribute to the accident?
  
• How could the accident have been prevented?
  

Scenario 7: High-speed Boat Accident

A man was one of several passengers in a high speed boat that suddenly struck a large swell. The man sustained a back fracture with partial paraplegia.

Issues:

• What was the mechanism of injury?
  
• Did the boat manufacturer or operator contribute to the accident and, if so, how?
  
• How could the accident have been prevented?
  

Scenario 8: Jet Ski Accident

A jet ski collided with a boat towing a water skier. Both the skier and the jet ski operator sustained serious injuries.

Issues:

• What was the biomechanical reconstruction of the accident and the injuries?
  
• Did the reconstruction agree with the evidence and descriptions of the accident?
  
• How could the accident have been prevented?