It seems as if all of America watched the 2014 FIFA World Cup. We sneakily watched while at our desks at work. We refreshed the ESPN page every minute. The United States watched as the world’s best soccer players put their names and talent on the line to compete for their countries. That wasn’t the only thing they put on the line, though. As we could clearly see, they risked their health and their safety.
When you play sports—whatever they may be—you risk injury, whether it is minor or life altering. As we watched the World Cup, we saw the effects of this risk play out over and over again right in front of our eyes. Concussions, torn ligaments, sprains, cuts, bruises –we saw it all, along with the Oscar nomination-worthy drama that ensued.
During the 2014 World Cup, there were around 95 injuries reported, seven of them serious. Not only did we see these players get injured, but we also saw most of them continue to play out the games while they were injured.
Is this perseverance or is this recklessness? Were these players thinking about their future careers and their health or were they thinking about that moment, and that game?
These athletes are trained to push harder, even through serious injuries, but at a point, medical help is necessary and so is time off.
We glorify these magnificent players as we watch them sprint across the field, but do we ever stop to think about how we are just like them? We sustain injuries but continue to go about daily life because we would rather keep pushing through than stop and take care of ourselves.
At Finney Law Office, we don’t think that we should have to be as tough and as reckless as these world-class athletes when it comes to injuries. If you are injured, especially when it is not your fault, you should not feel forced to keep going without care of your health. Especially if you are injured at work, in a car accident, or even in your local grocery store, take the time to evaluate whether or not you were wrongfully injured.
When these soccer players are injured they automatically walk away with scars and possible long-term issues –only some walk away with the reward of winning the tournament. If you are injured, don’t just assume you have to be as tough as them. You have more than a tournament title at risk.
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