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Civil liability of sports participants for sports-related injuries in the Czech Republic

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Abstract

The paper deals with the current issues of legal liability of sports participants for injuries caused during the practice of sports. So far, this issue has not been adequately analysed by the legal theory, legal literature and judicial practice in the Czech Republic. However, the experiences of the past years indicate that this issue is getting more and more important, especially in connection with the cases concerning sports incidents that appear in the media on a regular basis. The aim of this paper is therefore to contribute to the clarification of the issue of legal liability of sports participants for sports-related injuries and to suggest possible solutions while respecting the complexity of the issue. The paper focuses on one of the most important legal concepts of legal liability of sports participants according to which possible existence of legal liability of a sports participant for a sports-related injury should be determined based on his adherence to (or violation of) the rules of the sport. The paper describes its theoretical background and mentions some of the most important legal writings dealing with this concept. The final part discusses in detail the impact of this concept on the judicial practice of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic and on the legal literature dealing with this issue. Due to its subject-matter, this paper may serve as a basis for possible future comparative studies of the issue within the European context since no uniform and unequivocal approach to this issue has been yet found and accepted.

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Notes

  1. Sawicki (1968); Translation: Hora and Jędruch (1980).

  2. For example: Gališin (1986)

  3. An overview of the most significant of these theories and their concise description can be found, for example, in: Králík (2007, 2008, 2012).

  4. In this connection, see also, for example: Jędruch (1972).

  5. See also: Kubli (1952).

  6. Let us mention, for example, the rules of the fist fights in Russia enacted by Catherine I, the principles of the practice of water skiing in Ohio and Michigan and the rules of the organisation of the races on public roads etc.

  7. Op. cit. sub 4), p. 35.

  8. A sports contract is an absolutely specific legal instrument whose analysis would go beyond the possibilities of this paper. In this respect, see also, for example: Sośniak (1962, 1943), Azema (1935), Le Roux (1935).

  9. See also: Veaux (1987).

  10. See also: Le Roux (1935).

  11. See also: Savatier (1939).

  12. Králík (2006).

  13. See also: Sawicki (1970).

  14. See also : Sawicki (1970), p. 260.

  15. See also: Bojarski (1970).

  16. See also: Sośniak (1962).

  17. See also: Śliwiński (1946).

  18. See also, for example: Mazeaud and Mazeaud (1960), Kubli (1952).

  19. The first group of rules include the rules relating directly to the rules of the game that determine the course of a sports competition. An example of such rule is, e.g., the rule in football stating that no other player than the goal-keeper may hit the ball with his hand, or the rule in tennis under which the ball must fall on the delimited “field” of the opponent. The second group of rules include such rules that impose duty on sports participants to act with caution. These rules are incorporated in sport regulations in order to prevent savage attacks as well as sports injuries. An example may be found in football where a rule prohibits raising the foot above certain level defined by the rule, another example can be found in box where a rule proscribes to hit the opponent “below the waist”. However, Szwarc says that the sports rules may be also classified based on other criteria and proceeds to a more extensive analysis of the sports rules. See also, for example: Szwarc (1972).

  20. See also: Chassériaux (1965).

  21. See also: Prusák (1984).

  22. For more details, see also: Gališin (1987).

  23. See also: Havranová (2003), 62.

  24. See also: Smith and Hogan (1999), 410.

  25. James (2003), 1079.

  26. James (2003), 1079.

  27. See also: Looschelders (2000), Fritzweiler (1998), 335. or Fuchs (2003), 72.

  28. See also: Fiala and Kindl et al. (2009), 637.

  29. Doležal (2008), p. 65.

  30. Published in the Official Journal of the Supreme Court, 1954, Issue 5, pp. 86–87, under serial no. 88.

  31. Compliance of the conduct of the sports participant with the rules of the sport is also one of the aspects that are most commonly taken into consideration when determining on the exclusion of liability of the sports participant for sports-related injury. This issue will be addressed below in more detail.

  32. Published in the Official Journal of court decisions and opinions, 1963, under serial no. 15.

  33. Published in the Official Journal of court decisions and opinions, 1980, under serial no. 16.

  34. Under Section 415 of the Civil Code, anyone must act so as to avoid damages to health, property, nature and environment.

  35. Under Section 420 (1) of the Civil Code, everyone shall be liable for damage caused by violating a legal duty.

  36. Prusák (1984), 216–217 or Prusák (1984), 866.

  37. Published in the Collection of the decisions and opinions of the Supreme Court on civil law matters, C. H. Beck, 2004, under serial no. C 2352.

  38. See also: Prusák (1984).

  39. The resolution was published in the Collection of decisions and opinions of the Supreme Court in civil matters, C. H. Beck, under serial no. C 3268.

Summary of the literature and judicial decisions

Books

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  • Ruling of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic from 17 December 2003, file no. 25 Cdo 1960/2002

  • Resolution of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic from 23 February 2005, file no. 25 Cdo 1506/2004

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  1. Modrá 580, Zlín, Kudlov, 76001, Czech Republic

    Michal Králík

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  1. Michal Králík
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Correspondence to Michal Králík.

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M. Králík is the Judge of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic.

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Králík, M. Civil liability of sports participants for sports-related injuries in the Czech Republic. Int Sports Law J 13, 176–187 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40318-013-0016-2

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