Settlement for aspiring professional athlete

July 2017

Coleman Legal Partners recently settled a case for a young man who was on the path to becoming a professional athlete. Having secured a professional contract with a reputable European club, his potential career was cut short due to an injury and a subsequent incident of medical negligence.

The Plaintiff, a promising sporting talent, who played for an Irish club, injured his knee and was advised to merely undertake rehabilitation, after which the damage would heal and he would once again be fit and healthy for contact sport. A short time after, the Plaintiff reinjured his knee and was referred to the Defendant for reconstructive surgery on his ACL with a graft at his patellar tendon.

It transpired that this ACL graft was non-functional, and that the surgery was carried out in a sub-standard manner. This subsequently led to the Plaintiff suffering severe personal injuries, loss, damage, inconvenience and expense.

Coleman Legal Partners successfully recovered damages totalling €105,000 for loss of opportunity, together with costs for the Plaintiff by way of settlement. Expert medical evidence adduced that the graft had been placed in the wrong position and had the Plaintiff’s injury been treated with the requisite due care and skill, the Plaintiff would not have been denied his opportunity to play sports professionally.