Contributing Factors To A Case Revolving A High School Football Player's Death
Posted on: 20 February 2019
As the parent of a high school football player, you might appreciate the exercise, camaraderie, and chance for a college scholarship that your son enjoys, but also be nervous about his or her safety. Injuries are a way of life in high school football, but deaths can also sometimes occur — including during practices. If your son has died during a high school football practice, your grief will be immeasurable. But, you'll still want to make time to speak to an attorney who specializes in wrongful death cases, as you may wish to bring a wrongful death case against the school district. Here are some contributing factors that can bolster the case.
The Conditions Were Dangerous
While deaths can occur during contact drills in high school football practices, it's also possible for players to occasionally die as a result of heat exhaustion. You'll want to get witnesses who can talk about the weather conditions on the day of your son's death. For example, if the temperature was above 100 and the coaches were forcing the players to run laps of the football field repeatedly, this behavior shows a degree of negligence that undoubtedly played a role in the loss of your child's life.
The Coaching Staff Didn't Provide Reasonable Care
Even if a football program chose to practice in extremely hot conditions, it should have had a number of steps in place to protect the players. This list could include tents on the sidelines to provide shade, the frequent encouragement of water and sports drink breaks, and medical professionals on the scene to watch for signs of heat exhaustion. If none of these elements was present on the day that your son passed away as a result of attending football practice, you'll have a stronger wrongful death legal case.
Your Son Showed Concerning Warning Signs
The death of your son will be even more concerning to you if he exhibited signs of struggling under the hot conditions, but the coaching staff ignored these signs. For example, if your son threw up one or more times, but was compelled to keep playing, this is a major concern. Or, perhaps your son might have asked for a break, only for a coach to tell him that if he took a break, he wouldn't play in the next game. These issues may have compelled your son to continue to practice, even in the face of the danger that doing so presented.
For more information, contact your local wrongful death accident lawyers.
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