Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Wed Jan 31, 2024 4:49 pm  

Clearwing wrote:

Maybe the insurer didn't pay out. Leeds counter suing their medics might point that way.

I don't think there will be an insurance policy in place for them to payout from. Group personal accident policies exclude professional sports as a general rule. I would doubt that even Premier League teams would have one. It would be too expensive. Their EL policy will be the one that is being challenged in Stevie's case and you would expect he would have to prove negligence on the club's part. The insurer might just pay out given the circumstances as the court costs could possibly dwarf the settlement. It looks like Leeds have changed their protocols since then. Not sure if that is damning or not. Time will tell.

If Leeds were negligent he deserves his payout. They don't get paid enough to not be protected whether we like it or not.

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Wed Jan 31, 2024 4:52 pm  

Zoo Zoo Boom wrote:

What do you expect the Ward to do - just go quietly to save the club's face? I don't expect the club to pay out I expect it to be insured correctly to protect its employees as all other companies are legally obliged to.

Given the thirst from fans for "bring back the biff" and shoulder charging. These are the fans who are saying the players know what they are getting into so should suffer the consequences for our entertainment!!

Leeds is the best run club in SL but you do get the impression on occasions that players are just exendable collateral in the grand scheme of things.

I am sure they have an insurance policy in place, albeit all insurance policies are subject to conditions and exclusions. An insurance policy will very unlikely pay out for a breach of the concussion protocols (if this is proven to be the case).

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Wed Jan 31, 2024 5:52 pm  

Like I said it will be a matter of contract and compliance and law. If the club hasn't followed a policy and the player has developed an injury like this then it's open. That's not to say that Stevie playing a couple of days before the 2 weeks made his injury happen but... if there's a breach there's a breach.

The lad has had a lot to deal with.

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:03 am  

rugbyleague88 wrote:

I am sure they have an insurance policy in place, albeit all insurance policies are subject to conditions and exclusions. An insurance policy will very unlikely pay out for a breach of the concussion protocols (if this is proven to be the case).

They have to have Employer's Liability Insurance by law. This will pay out if they have been negligent. If the insurer believes they haven't been negligent they will defend the claim, and as it appears in this instance, counter claim against the club doctor. The club doctor should have a Professional Indemnity policy which will in turn look to defend the doctor. I would be surprised if Stevie doesn't receive something and his solicitor must think he has a decent case.

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Fri Feb 02, 2024 6:45 pm  

Hate all this sueing culture that's coming in. He knew the risks he got hurt. Yes I feel sorry for him but if I crash my car and suffer can I blame and sue renault?

As long as the club followed the rules at the time the case should be thrown out and any claiments forced to pay all costs

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Mon Feb 05, 2024 12:36 pm  

ALAW wrote:

Hate all this sueing culture that's coming in. He knew the risks he got hurt. Yes I feel sorry for him but if I crash my car and suffer can I blame and sue renault?

As long as the club followed the rules at the time the case should be thrown out and any claiments forced to pay all costs

You crash your car and damage another or hurt somebody who pays - not you. We all know the risk of getting behind the wheel of car and mayhem it may cause - that is why we have to be insured. If Ward was not insured then somebody needs to be asking a question of the club. They have a duty of care to their employees.

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Mon Feb 05, 2024 1:26 pm  

I cant imagine a club would be able to get insurance for players getting injured, as its part of the game, but to be honest i dont know much about insurance.

Would they get compensation every time a player breaks a bone or would the insurance only have to be on career ending injuries?

Surely Ward would have personal accident insurance to cover himself, rather than the club covering it?

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Mon Feb 05, 2024 1:46 pm  

I think there are two topics being mixed here. One is what happens if someone gets injured and needs time off work, the other is if someone is so badly injured they cannot continue to work.

In the first case, most likely the club just continue to pay them until they can return, unless its a very long period in which case they may have an insurance policy that can kick in. In the second case, this would almost certainly have to be via insurance, as the club couldn't possibly be held financially accountable for the player's lost earnings for the remainder of their career.

I understand that this case is about the latter.

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Mon Feb 05, 2024 7:54 pm  

batleyrhino wrote:

I think there are two topics being mixed here. One is what happens if someone gets injured and needs time off work, the other is if someone is so badly injured they cannot continue to work.

In the first case, most likely the club just continue to pay them until they can return, unless its a very long period in which case they may have an insurance policy that can kick in. In the second case, this would almost certainly have to be via insurance, as the club couldn't possibly be held financially accountable for the player's lost earnings for the remainder of their career.

I understand that this case is about the latter.

Think you're right (although they won't have an insurance policy for injured players and neither will Ward have a personal accident policy).

This isn't really about insurance (although fortunately their EL policy should be sufficient to stop them going bust). It's about negligence. Should a company of Leeds's size and nature been aware of the dangers of repeated head injuries and did they respond in the correct fashion after taking the best advice from the knowledge that was available at that time? I guess we'll find out.

This isn't a case of someone making a spurious claim where they should have known the dangers. All players know you can get a bang on the head and it could end your career or your life. That doesn't mean it's the club's fault. However, an employer playing it's employee too early or without the appropriate protocols to avoid long-term injury to their employee.

FWIW I think what Fozzard and Co. are doing is totally wrong and done for the wrong reasons.