Coaches Can Be Sued by Athletes For Additional Harm After Suspected Concussion
This ruling by the Third Circuit (the federal appeals court that covers Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Virgin Islands) holds that student-athletes may sue for additional harm if a coach returns them to play after a suspected concussion.
You can read the decision here: http://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/162821p.pdf
News article here: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/school_law/2017/09/liability_for_student…
As the news article says: The 3rd Circuit panel, in its ruling this week, held that a coach at a public school may be held liable where the coach requires a player who shows signs of a concussion "to continue to be exposed to violent hits."
"We hold that an injured student-athlete participating in a contact sport has a constitutional right to be protected from further harm, and that a state actor violates this right when the injured student-athlete is required to be exposed to a risk of harm by continuing to practice or compete," U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie wrote for the panel.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:27 PM ^
coaches at a private school. What about his misdeeds?
September 24th, 2017 at 1:27 PM ^
I assume the school can be sued also? Or is that a given?
September 24th, 2017 at 1:34 PM ^
I think this ruling opens a whole new can of worms. I really support this for players playing for coaches who are negligent and are more concerned about winning than player safety. Putting the responsibility on the coach is equally negligent. School districts should be held liable when they choose NOT to spend the extra money to make sure qualified medical personnel is on the field at athletic events. That is even more criminal. So a school's money saving choice puts coaches at risk of being sued? I know plenty of kids that have tested out of protocol only to show symptoms days later. Coaches are required to watch an hour video and print out a certificate. Some states require head coaches to have First Aid certification. The bottomline is coaches are ill-trained to make concussion rulings other than to keep every kid out that sustains any type of head blow.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:37 PM ^
Yes, I agree that "this ruling opens a whole new can of worms." I think this ruling and the others after it will change football coaching and football a lot.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:46 PM ^
yeah, at minimum shouldn't the liability extend to the team trainer and medical staff?
September 24th, 2017 at 9:31 PM ^
i think that this is only confusing because we are talking about football, if this were any other sport it would be a no brainer
September 24th, 2017 at 1:35 PM ^
School Districts cannot be sued under this holding. "Local governments, such as schooldistricts, cannot be held liable under §1983 for the acts of their employees. Instead, local governments may be found liable under §1983 for “their own illegal acts.” A municipality is liable under §1983 when a plaintiff candemonstrate that themunicipality itself, through the implementation of a municipalpolicy or custom, causes a constitutional violation."
So there would need to be a policy or practice of sending athletes back out for the District to be liable.
As far as coaches at private schools, they are not bound by the Constitution (it only applies to the government except for the 13th Amendment).
With all of that said, there are enough state law claims that can be alleged, I imagine, that the coaches will be liable under some legal theory.
If I were a coach, I'd be taking out liability insurance.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:40 PM ^
If I were a coach I'd give serious consideration to resigning my position.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:45 PM ^
If you don't have insurance, you'd be foolish to keep coaching and be held personally liable. Everytime you coach, including practices, you are exposing yourself to being sued. How many kids do some coaches oversee in a year (if you include camps, etc.)?
And even putting aside that, what do you have to do to protect yourself? Videotape every practice? That statute of limitations on these claims can be a long time (3 years in some states. How do you remember what happened back then? And you are guaranteed a jury trial if it is he said - he said stuff.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:47 PM ^
I'd start O'Korn vs. State.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:36 PM ^
That the Third Circuit Court judges love to see those cases from the Virgin Islands come across their desk and do a lot of on-site research into those cases.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:37 PM ^
Those are great clerkships to get (at the trial court level).
September 24th, 2017 at 1:42 PM ^
well, not anymore
September 25th, 2017 at 8:33 AM ^
Bwahahahaha. The islands have taken a hit this year. Dominica is gone, VI is in shambles, Puerto Rico is without power until May of 2018, St. Martin (and St. Maarten) are blasted. Just awful...
September 24th, 2017 at 1:37 PM ^
Faced person is going to love hearing this. His face might turn pink
September 24th, 2017 at 1:40 PM ^
O'Korn stayed in the game for the hand-offs in the red zone getting that dirty targeting hit. Thought the concussion protocol would have been automatically triggered.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:41 PM ^
thought the same
September 24th, 2017 at 2:11 PM ^
no more football! i don't want to pay other people's mistakes.
September 24th, 2017 at 2:12 PM ^
A former athletic director?
September 24th, 2017 at 2:19 PM ^
I am sure the University and head coach can be sued, because there is a legitimate relationship amongst the parties and the head trauma. The AD has no control over in-game decisions and does not act as an "Owner" like he/she would in the NFL.
September 24th, 2017 at 2:38 PM ^
Contact sports.
September 24th, 2017 at 2:44 PM ^
This is sure to change how they play football in The Virgin Islands.
One the serious side, I think most schools have a protocol now. Even when my son played at the dinky class A local school 6 years ago players were given preseason neurological evaluations. If they were suspected of having a concussion even a little, using recognized protocol on the sidelines, they were pulled from the game.
Saturday morning instead of watching film they were put through a battery of exams that compared to their baseline. They were not allowed to participate in practice until their evaluation put them back at the baseline again. Sometimes it was several weeks with no obvious symptoms until they were allowed to participate.
September 24th, 2017 at 3:16 PM ^
brady hoke must be sweating bullets right now.
September 24th, 2017 at 3:21 PM ^
Purdue didn't have x-ray facilities in their crappy stadium. I think they should be sued for putting our players at risk.
September 24th, 2017 at 4:14 PM ^
"continuing" to play, IF there are signs of concussion. Coaches can't take the player's word they are OK, again if certain concussion symptoms are observed. Requires a little more diligence of coaching staffs who weren't doing this already.
September 25th, 2017 at 12:45 AM ^
At HS games I've been at lately, kid gets hit in the head, the sports med crew takes their helmet until they are checked. Can't get back in without it