A football player at Star University suffered a serious neck injury during last week’s game. He has retained an attorney for the purpose of filing a workers’ compensation claim against the university. What are the player’s chances of prevailing under such a claim? You should read Rensing v. Indiana State Univ. (1983) and Coleman v. Western Michigan Univ. (1983). You may also want to consider the following comment offered by the court in Waldrep v. Texas Employers Ins. Ass’n (2000):
In conclusion, we note that we are aware college athletics has changed dramatically over the years since Waldrep’s injury. Our decision today is based on facts and circumstances as they existed almost twenty-six years ago. We express no opinion as to whether our decision would be the same in an analogous situation arising today; therefore, our opinion should not be read too broadly.