Horseback riding can be fun and exhilarating. It’s also dangerous. Sadly, not everyone who falls off a horse can get back in the saddle again. One need not look beyond the tragic incident involving Christopher Reeve, the actor who portrayed Superman, to understand that a horseback riding accident could leave you with catastrophic injuries. Consequently, ensuring that you work with competent trainers who provide you with safe, working gear while riding in a monitored environment can help protect you from injury, or even wrongful death.
Contact Silva Injury Law immediately if you or a loved one sustained severe injuries or died in an equestrian accident due to another person’s carelessness. Our firm’s premise is simple: you are family to us, and we will always treat you that way. We aim to help you heal through compassionate advocacy and not fight for every extra dollar. Instead, we work tirelessly to solve our clients’ problems.
What Are The Most Common Injuries In Horseback Riding Statistically?
Even domesticated horses act unpredictably at times. As a result, horseback riding is statistically more dangerous than skiing, motorcycle riding, and playing tackle football. That information might shock you, given the inherent dangers associated with those activities. You might also be surprised to learn that male and female riders sustain injuries at the same rate. However, researchers believe experienced male riders who do not wear helmets might account for the bulk of injuries suffered by male riders.
About 84% of all horseback riding injuries happened because the horse bucked and the rider fell. The remaining injuries related to horseback riding stem from a horse kicking or stepping on someone. Not only is the rider at risk of getting hurt from hitting the ground after a horse throws the rider, but the horse could also kick, fall on, or drag the rider.
What Is a Common Horseback Riding Injury?
A horseback riding accident often causes injuries victims suffer in car accidents. A horseback rider is at risk for suffering injuries such as:
- Broken or fractured bones,
- Muscle strains and sprains,
- Whiplash,
- Dislocated joints,
- Neck injuries,
- Spinal cord injuries, and
- Traumatic brain injuries.
Helmets reduce the risk of suffering a traumatic brain injury but do not prevent spinal cord injuries resulting from compression or rupture of the spinal cord from blunt force trauma.
Riders are at the greatest risk of suffering a head injury when falling off a horse. Head injuries like concussions, fractured skulls, brain hemorrhaging, cerebral edema, and diffuse axonal injuries are common and account for nearly 70% of all equestrian injuries.
Disturbingly, 88% of injured riders who needed medical attention were admitted to the hospital for treatment.
While nearly 700 people die yearly in equestrian accidents, injuries like brain trauma and spinal cord injuries, especially those resulting in paralysis, require long-term health care that sends medical expenses skyward.
What Legal Steps Can You Take If You’ve Been “Saddled” With An Equestrian Injury?
You need experienced legal help immediately if you or a loved one suffered serious injuries in an equestrian accident. An experienced and dedicated injury lawyer from Silva Injury Law can explain what it takes to file an injury claim and what damages you might have a legal basis to recover.
Your attorney from Silva Injury Law will investigate who may bear legal liability for your injuries. Liable parties vary depending on your unique situation. However, property owners, horse owners, trainers, and riding instructors could share legal liability if they acted negligently.
In California, a person is liable to compensate you for damages if the person owed you a duty of care, breached that duty of care by acting negligently, and you suffered an injury because of the person’s negligence.
Some examples of negligence would be not properly securing the saddle, using unsafe equipment, or employing an unqualified instructor.
The damage award you could receive also depends on your injuries. You could win compensation for losses like:
- Medical bills,
- Future medical expenses,
- Lost wages,
- Loss of future earning capacity and benefits, and
- Pain and suffering.
The family of an equestrian accident victim could receive wrongful death damages if the rider succumbed to their injuries.
You should understand that simply because a horseback rider suffered an injury doesn’t mean someone is liable. You might have signed a waiver or could have played a role in the accident. Expert legal representation from Silva Injury Law is the best way to navigate those thorny legal issues.
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Contact us online at Silva Injury Law to schedule a free case review. We never charge a fee unless we recover damages on your behalf. We don’t ask you to pay any money out of your pocket. We advance all costs associated with filing your lawsuit and recover them when we win for you. Through compassionate advocacy and exhaustive work, we obtain the best possible results for our clients. Contact us or call us today to learn more.
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At Silva Injury Law we promote healing through compassionate advocacy. With each case tailored to the individual, we look our for your best interests by evaluating your unique circumstances. Contact us today for a FREE in person or remote consultation.