School Sports Injury Lawsuits – right or wrong?

http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/feb/10/lawsuit-injured-teen-gymnast-evergreen-schools/

I don’t know all of the details on this case, but in a nutshell a girl was practicing her uneven bars routine at a school gymnastics practice and injured her neck, requiring several surgeries and future care.  Parents filed a lawsuit based on the negligent supervision of the school faculty.

What are your thoughts on school sports injury lawsuits?  Are they a good thing?  A bad thing?

I think like everything else, it all depends on the details.  Many sports are inherently dangerous, as many physical activities can be.  As I like to say, “Physics is a b!#$%.” Even with the most diligent supervision, accidents can happen.  So parents and students have to make informed decisions as to how much they are willing to risk to engage in these activities.

Let’s say there was a fencing class, and there’s a coach teaching technique, everyone is wearing the proper masks and vests, but a brand new foil fails, snaps, and the jagged end pierces a students arm.  Should the school be held responsible for that?  Or is that just a “stuff happens” moment?  Clearly, there may be a products liability case against the sword manufacturer, but then we get back to this issue:  Shouldn’t you expect to possibly get stabbed if you are playing with swords?

In the case of the gymnast, I’m not sure what the proper supervision would have been, if it was there, or if it had been there this could have been avoided.  I just don’t know enough to form an opinion.

What are your thoughts on these sorts of claims?  Should they be allowed at all?  Should there be an automatic waiver for school sports injury claims?  Let me know what you think.