Winter injuries are a common occurrence and can lead to a sports injury claim due to their severity. Skiing and snowboarding accidents are the most common winter sport injury. In 2010-2011, 2,329 people were admitted to the hospital for skiing and snowboarding injuries. The second most common cause of sports related injuries were hockey injuries which caused 1,114 hospital visits.
Hockey
Hockey players acquire injuries often due to the nature of the sport. If enough damage occurs on the ice, a sports injury claim can occur. Half of all of the hospitalizations for hockey injuries reported happen between the ages of 10 and 19 years old. In this age group, 81% of the children that were hurt are boys.
Hockey can be a dangerous sport and certain precautions must be taken to ensure safety while playing. A hockey helmet with a full face mask is essential. Smaller children are especially prone to slipping and falling, which could result in a head injury without proper head gear. Helmets should be replaced every five years.
Skiing and Snowboarding
Skiing and snowboarding accidents can be detrimental, even causing death in some cases. Sport injury claims can result from skiing and snowboarding because of their intense speed. When the frost hits and the mountain becomes unforgiving, frigid temperatures make sustaining a skiing or snowboarding injury a recipe for disaster
Ski and snowboard helmets are important for children learning how to take part in the sport. If you're waylaid by an injury, dressing warmly and wearing thick layers will help protect against exposure to the frost. Wearing UV glasses to protect from vision being blocked by the glare of the sun from the snow helps safe skiing and snowboarding practices as well.
Even in the case of an accident that causes death, a sports injury claim lawsuit is important. A widow whose husband passed away in a skiing accident was denied an insurance claim because the claims adjuster argued that he had been skiing off of approved terrain. A sports injury claim lawsuit helped the widow prove that her husband had in fact been walking home after skiing and was killed in an avalanche without fault.
Skating
Skating is a common cause of winter sports injuries, causing 889 injuries in 2010-2011. Falling on the ice due to bad skating conditions or a faulty pair of skates can be painful. Falling on the ice is the second most common cause of serious winter injuries, following motor vehicle accidents. Most of the people who fell were aged 60 or older and were more commonly women.
It is important to guarantee that the your skates have good ankle support. For children, it is better to have softer boots than hard-cased skates, because feet grow quickly. Skating in appropriate conditions is very important as thin ice can result in a tragic death. Skating on ice that has melted and frozen over again can be quite bumpy and cause injury. It is a good idea to survey the area prior to skating to confirm ideal skating conditions.
Sources
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/dec/08/travel-insurance-winter-holidays-claims-reject
http://www.parachutecanada.org/injury-topics/item/winter-sports#sthash.yp8IWVYV.dpuf
https://www.cihi.ca/en/types-of-care/specialized-services/trauma-and-injuries/table-1-number-of-hospitalizations-due-to