Question

Professional football players undergo frequent medical evaluations. These evaluations can really affect their careers. For example, at the preseason, predraft, or free-agency stage players have an interest in obtaining a favorable medical report from the team physician. Similarly, these evaluations materially matter during the regular season too. Players who believe that they have a minor injury want to be cleared to play. On the other hand, players who believe that they have a more serious injury than the team physician believes, want the opposite result. These players do not want to play, if doing so jeopardizes their careers or future health. And they do not want to be pressured into playing before they have recovered. Player A was injured during a game against the Minnesota Vikings. The Team Physician cleared Player A to play. So, despite some pain, Player A continued in that game and in subsequent games. But in a later visit with another physician, Player A discovered that the original injury had been far more serious and now the condition has been seriously exacerbated. Assess Player A’s claims against the Team Physician. What duty if any was violated?

Answer 1

The Professional Football Players frequent medical evaluation is a crucial part for both the athletes and the team.

During the medical evaluation of the football players team physicians role is not only just evaluate and treat athletes but also they are academics, teachers, and leaders in their respective fields of medicine.

In the present scenario, Player A with Football dreams has recently injured during a game against the Minnesota Vikings. Despite some pain, the Team physician cleared Player A to play. He continued in that game and in subsequent games. But in the later consultation with another physician, Player A discovered the recent injury has far more serious and now the condition has been seriously exacerbated

Actually, after getting the treatment with the team physician, He had some pain but the physician cleared him to play, The team physician hast to expect the documented injuries frequently affect the Player A orthopedic grade, why because the player A had some pain

Here the duty violated by the team physician is considered as medical - malpractice or misconduct that affect the ability to do the job. As a team physician, he has to make sure that the athlete is healthy enough to return to play. Team physicians are more inclined to order tests for mild injuries, such as ankle sprains, to make sure that they don't miss anything

Actually, there is no universally accepted code of ethics in matters regarding medical practices followed by a team physician for a football team.

The team physician responsibility is that before cleared the Player A for the game, he has to make sure that the player A might have a recent injury that is completely healed with no lingering issues. Thus he can avoid the Player A from going to the serious condition.

Thus Player A can claim against the team physician as a violation of duty as negligence/Medical malpractice