College Player’s Injury May Have Been Caused by A Defective Sneaker

 Posted on February 22, 2019 in Product Liability

This week, college basketball player Zion Williamson suffered a knee injury during one of the most important basketball games of the season. The Duke Blue Devils star was moving across the court when he appeared to lose his footing and injure himself. A closer inspection shows that Williamson did not simply misstep; his shoe had actually ripped apart. When he put his foot down, the 18-year-old basketball star hurt his knee and later limped off the court in pain. Although the injury was described as a “mild knee sprain” by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, the injury brings up many concerns regarding the products we use and trust every day. A freak injury has the potential to ruin the career of an aspiring professional athlete. If that injury was caused by a defective or flawed product, a personal injury lawsuit may be appropriate.

Understanding the Purpose of Personal Injury Lawsuits

Unfortunately, personal injury suits have gotten an undeserved bad reputation. Personal injury suits are important for helping victims of negligence gain compensation for damages, but they also help hold companies accountable for the products they manufacture. Part of the reason we are able to trust the products we buy to be safe and work the way they are intended to is due to pressure from potential injury suits. Product liability suits can be brought against the manufacturer, distributor, or designer of a product.

A Serious Injury Can Reduce a Person’s Future Employability

After Williamson’s injury, the Nike company addressed the incident, saying, “We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery." Nike also added that “The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance.” Although the injury caused by the shoe breaking was mild in this case, a more serious injury would have greater possible legal consequences.

 For example, if a malfunctioning product caused an injury which prevented an individual from working, he or she could sue for future lost wages and reduced employability. Compensation for pain and suffering may also be available depending on the circumstances of an injury suit. If Williamson’s knee injury ends up being more serious than previously thought or causes ongoing pain or other problems, he may have good reason to sue. If the shoe is proven to have been defective, Nike could potentially be held liable for manufacturing a defective shoe that caused the injury.

Contact a Winnebago County Product Liability Attorney

If you have been injured due to a defective product, call the experienced Rockford, Illinois personal injury lawyers at Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois. To schedule a free consultation with, call us today at 815-215-7561.

Source:

https://www.newsweek.com/zion-williamson-injury-nike-sneakers-duke-blue-devils-nba-nike-lawsuit-1338338