Australian Rugby Player Dies After Serious Head Injury

A 25-year-old rugby union player has died after suffering a blow to the head when he made a tackle during a match in a first-grade match in New South Wales.

Nicolas Tooth collapsed after his head collided with another players’shoulder. Despite receiving treatment at the scene and being airlifted to hospital, he died the next day as a result of his injury.

The president of the Quirindi Lions football club, the club Tooth played for, said: “It really was just a tragic accident, Nick went in to tackle an opponent and his head clashed with [the opponent’s] shoulder and he went down,”Murray added: “There was no foul play, nothing untoward about it at all, sadly it was just a very tragic accident.”

Unfortunately, it is not the first death from rugby in Australia, with a player losing their life last year through a heart attack. Such tragedies have led to many calling for stricter policies regarding medicals and check-ups in order to prevent future deaths.

Indeed, nor is not the first time this year that rugby has come under global scrutiny. The opening game of the Six Nations between Wales and England was marred after Wales winger George North was knocked out during the match after he had sustained an injury to his head. Despite the replays of the incident being shown on screen, and North clearly lying unconscious, the Welsh medical staff failed to sub the player.

North suffered a concussion and was unable to take part in the next game. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) was strongly criticised for failing to notice their player losing consciousness and failing to act on further injuries. The media, pressure groups and other bodies were critical of the WRU for failure to protect players, especially after a serious head knock.

Head Injuries

Sadly, head injuries are fairly common in serious accidents and it is possible to sustain a head injury at any time such as in a road traffic accident, playing sport or a slip, trip or fall. Due to the fragile nature of your head and the proximity to such a vital organ, even a minor head knock can cause lasting damage.

A blow to the head can cause memory loss, dizziness, loss of consciousness, headaches, difficulty sleeping, nausea, a fractured skull or even death. While many dismiss a head knock due to no immediate symptoms following the injury, the impact can be life-changing. If you are involved in an accident and suffer a head injury, it is imperative that you seek a medical assessment. Not only will this allow trained medical staff to assess your injuries, but it will also give you peace of mind ensuring that your injuries are cared for, and any potential injuries are monitored. With the impact of a head injury being possibly life ending, it is certainly worthwhile getting medical care.

Making A Claim

Seeking medical assistance can be beneficial when making a claim. Sadly, many injuries are fraudulently claimed for, and by having evidence that supports your claim, it will benefit your case for compensation. A medical report will be given following a head injury detailing the injuries and the impact of your head knock. This evidence, which comes from highly regarded professionals, can be used to verify the extent of your injuries and prove your claim is genuine. Furthermore, an estimated rehabilitation period or advice will sometimes be given by doctors. This will allow our team of skilled solicitors to prove how it affected you and how long your rehabilitation was.

In order to make a claim, you will need to be open and honest with our lawyers. If you are involved in an accident as a result of negligence or an accident that was not your fault, you will be able to make a claim, however, if you caused the accident or if it was a result of carelessness on your part, then you will not be able to make a claim. Our solicitors will need to know the details regarding the accident such as where, when and how the incident occurred. Details of the other parties involved in the incident will also need to be provided as well as contact details of witnesses. Our team of solicitors will verify your account by contacting witnesses and cross-referencing details of the accident in order to build the strongest possible case. If there any other records of the accident, such as pictures or even a record in the accident reports book, it should be provided to our team of personal injury law specialists.

Upon calling our team of customer service representatives, they will be able to inform you of exactly what type of evidence is needed to make a successful compensation claim. Finding out if you could be entitled to make a compensation claim can take less than five minutes. If you have been involved in an accident, it is your right to hold those responsible to account and get the closure and compensation you rightfully deserve.

Why Choose Us

At Lawford Kidd, we are experts in making personal injury claims. We specialise in getting clients the compensation they deserve and ensuring that they are cared for throughout their claim. Due to the nature of a head injury, and the potential lasting damage, head injury claims can typically result in more compensation than other injury claims, such as whiplash. However, as a result of this, head injuries can be exceptionally complicated. While a personal injury claim may seem like they should be straightforward, they can quickly spin out of control. Therefore, it is recommended that you seek the advice of our team personal injury lawyers in order to get the maximum amount of compensation.

Many people are put off making a claim as they believe it will be too expensive to hold those responsible to account. At Lawford Kidd, we work on a “No win, No fee”basis meaning that if we are unable to get you compensation, you will not need to pay for the representation or the legal advice that you received. We will only take a minimal fee if you are successful in obtaining compensation in order to cover our legal fees.

Contact our Personal Injury Solicitors Today

Sadly, numerous people will be injured in accidents that were not their fault, and we believe that you have the right to claim compensation for your injuries and hold those responsible accountable to their reckless actions. If you believe you could be entitled to make a personal injury claim, whether having suffered an accident in the workplace or while playing sport, contact our team of personal injury lawyers today or call us on 0808 231 9223.