Can a coach punish an athlete by having that person come in and perform physical activity without notifying the parent or the player that the activity would be intense?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can a coach punish an athlete by having that person come in and perform physical activity without notifying the parent or the player that the activity would be intense?
The player is asthmatic and was underage and the inhaler was not at the school where the punishment was doled out. The player was the only player called in although there were witnesses who saw him undergo his “punishment”. Parents found out when the child came home about to throw up and needed an emergency inhaler.
Asked on March 24, 2015 under Personal Injury, Illinois
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 9 years ago | Contributor
IF the coach knew that the athlete had astha AND also knew that the student did not have his inhaler ready at the time, then the coach (and therefore the school) may be liable (or responsible financially) for any injuries. But if the coach did not know those things, it is very unlikely that you could hold him or the school liable, since a coach may order additional physical activity to punish a student athlete--there's nothing wrongful about that in the absence of knowledge of some particular risk.
And if the school and/or coach could, in theory be liable, you could only sue for out-of-pocket medical costs and for pain and suffering with long-lasting impairment or injury. If the student was fine after only a short time and there were no large medical costs, there'd be no point in a lawsuit--you could not recover enough money to justify the cost of the suit (especially since suing government entities, including schools and their employees) is generally more complicated and expensive than even the normal lawsuit.
You could try to file a complaint with the district and see if they will punish the coach in some way.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.