Posts Tagged: cases

Good Swimmers Don’t Drown

May 12, 2011

Katharine M. Nohr, Esq.
Nohr Sports Risk Management, LLC

Multiple athlete drownings in triathlons have recently puzzled the multi-sport community. In July of 2008, a 60 year old male and a 52 year old male drowned in two different triathlons on the same weekend. A 32 year old male died during the swim of the New York City Triathlon the previous weekend.

Why do well-conditioned athletes die during the swim portion of the three discipline event, rather than during the more hazardous cycling portion or when they are more fatigued on the run? As aquatics safety expert Tom Griffiths has said, “good swimmers don’t really drown—they die of other specific causes, known as ‘drowning triggers,’ that predispose them to death in the water.” The trigger that commonly causes these mysterious drowning deaths is Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome and Romano-Ward syndrome, which cause their sufferers to develop a sudden abnormal heart rhythm as a response to exercise or stress. These abnormalities can occur for no known reason in people who have “long QT” syndrome (“LQTS”), which refers to an interval seen on an EKG (electrocardiogram). Not everyone who has LQTS will develop a dangerous heart rhythm. However, when this does happen, it can be fatal.

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One Push-up too Many – the Risks of Training the Out-of-Shape

April 07, 2011

Katharine M. Nohr, Esq.
Nohr Sports Risk Management, LLC

Considering the growing trend of obesity, even amongst young people, sports and recreation programs will continue to be faced with training and offering services to the out-of-shape individual. To what extent is a duty owed to protect someone who has not worked out for a long time against the risks inherent in starting up a physical fitness program? Very recently, a California appellate court addressed this issue in Rostai v. Neste Enterprises, 138 Cal.App.4th 326 (2006)

What is the duty owed to protect someone who has not worked out for a long time?

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Recent Court Cases

April 07, 2011

Katharine M. Nohr, Esq.
Nohr Sports Risk Management LLC

Below are summaries from court cases across the nation that are hot off the press, decided in August and September of 2007. As always, when reading summaries of court decisions, it is important to note that this is no substitute for reading the entire decision which includes details of the relevant facts, case law and state and federal statutes that are applicable as well as analysis of the court’s decision. Simply because a court decides something in one case does not mean that it will apply to your situation and so it is important to talk to an attorney licensed in your state if you have any questions.

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