ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses several topics: the key legal standards governing sports injuries, the consequences of dangerous athletic activities, and how sports organizations attempt to minimize the risk of injury to participants and spectators. The majority of the total number of injuries involves the millions of recreational athletes who participate simply for fun and exercise. Yet such injuries and deaths receive little coverage because these athletes are largely unknown. Whereas the National Football League (NFL) makes its injury information public, other leagues, such as the National Hockey League (NHL). In college sports, disclosure of injuries may be limited because the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and its accompanying privacy regulations restrict the dissemination of individuals' health information. Spectator injuries occur during sports events, and it is common to categorize fans as victims–one hit by a foul ball or a hockey puck–rather than producers of the injuries.
