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An athlete’s collapse can leave a family facing devastating questions. Were earlier complaints overlooked? Was the athlete properly evaluated before returning to play? Did the school or sports organization have an accessible automated external defibrillator (AED) and an emergency action plan?
Sudden cardiac arrest in athletes can occur without recognized warning signs, and no screening process identifies every person at risk. But when an athlete reports symptoms before a collapse, families deserve answers about how medical providers and athletic programs responded. Ohio’s Lindsay’s Law and newer AED requirements address different parts of that responsibility, from education and participation restrictions to emergency preparedness.
If your loved one suffered serious injuries or died after an athletic collapse, The Becker Law Firm can review the circumstances and explain your legal options. Call 216-480-4620 for a free consultation.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops pumping blood effectively. It often involves a dangerous electrical disturbance that prevents blood from reaching the brain and other organs. Cardiac arrest can be survived, although survivors may sustain serious injuries.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) describes a fatal outcome from a sudden cardiac event. The distinction is survival; an athlete who survives cardiac arrest has not experienced sudden cardiac death. The terms should not be used interchangeably.
Neither term means the same thing as a heart attack. A heart attack involves blocked blood flow to the heart muscle, while cardiac arrest involves the abrupt loss of effective heart function. A heart attack can trigger cardiac arrest, but athletes can experience cardiac arrest for other reasons.
Reports made before a collapse can become important evidence in a later investigation. Recognized concerns in athlete screening include:
Family history also matters. Screening questions commonly address premature or unexplained deaths, inherited heart conditions, and relatives with significant rhythm disorders. Under Lindsay’s Law, a biological parent’s, sibling’s, or child’s history of sudden cardiac arrest triggers specific participation restrictions until physician evaluation and clearance.
These reports do not establish a particular diagnosis. They may, however, help show what information was available to medical providers and athletic staff before the collapse.
A sports physical is not a guarantee that an athlete has no underlying heart condition. Common screening approaches rely on personal history, family history, and a physical examination. An electrocardiogram, also called an ECG or EKG, is not part of every sports physical, and even screening that includes an ECG cannot identify every condition associated with sudden cardiac death in athletes.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heart-muscle condition associated with abnormal thickening and an increased risk of dangerous heart rhythms in some people. Some people with HCM have few or no symptoms, which can leave the condition unrecognized.
Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) involves an additional electrical pathway in the heart. A WPW pattern may appear on an ECG even when an athlete has not reported symptoms, making it a condition that history and a routine examination alone may miss.
A WPW pattern on an ECG does not automatically mean an athlete must permanently stop playing sports. An American College of Cardiology expert analysis describes an individualized evaluation that distinguishes athletes with symptoms from those with an asymptomatic WPW pattern and considers their circumstances when addressing sports participation.
Other conditions associated with sudden cardiac arrest in athletes include congenital coronary artery abnormalities, other cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, and inherited electrical disorders. Their differing characteristics help explain why no single screening test detects every risk.
If your family has questions about an athlete’s evaluation before a collapse, call The Becker Law Firm at 216-480-4620 for a free consultation.
Lindsay’s Law is Ohio’s sudden cardiac arrest education and participation safety law for covered school athletics and youth sports organizations. It took effect in 2017 and is named for Lindsay Davis, a heart health advocate and former Miss Ohio who was diagnosed with HCM after collapsing as a teenager.
The law is not a universal cardiac testing requirement. Instead, it establishes education, acknowledgment, coach training, removal-from-play, and clearance obligations. Current requirements include:
The professionals authorized to provide written return clearance also differ. After fainting, the school statute permits clearance by physicians, specified advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, or athletic trainers. The youth organization statute lists physicians and specified advanced practice nurses. Both statutes expressly require physician evaluation and clearance for the specified family history of sudden cardiac arrest.
An earlier sports physical and a later return-to-play evaluation serve different purposes. A prior clearance does not resolve new concerns that arise after fainting, an abnormal test, or another significant event. Ohio law expressly requires evaluation and written clearance before covered athletes return after specified participation restrictions or removal for fainting.
A review of a disputed clearance may focus on:
A later cardiac arrest does not, by itself, prove that clearance was negligent. The medical evaluation must be assessed against the applicable standard of care, while the organization’s conduct must be evaluated under the laws and duties governing that program.
Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 47 on July 23, 2024. Its principal AED provisions took effect October 24, 2024, expanding Ohio’s requirements for AED placement and emergency planning.
Ohio law now requires AED placement in each school controlled by a school district and each chartered nonpublic school. Related provisions extend requirements to other covered public-school types. Schools must also adopt an AED emergency action plan and comply with applicable staff training requirements.
This is an important change from the earlier framework, which permitted rather than generally required AED placement in schools.
Current Ohio law also addresses covered public sports and recreation locations, including designated recreation centers, gymnasiums, pools, and playing fields. Their controlling authorities must provide an AED when the location hosts an organized youth sports activity, ensure a sufficient number of staff complete appropriate AED training, and adopt an emergency action plan.
The statute contains exceptions for villages with fewer than 5,000 residents and townships whose unincorporated areas have fewer than 5,000 residents. These requirements apply to the public recreation locations covered by the statute, not automatically to every private gym or athletic facility in Ohio.
House Bill 47 directed the Ohio Department of Health to develop a model AED emergency action plan for schools, youth sports organizations, and covered sports and recreation locations.
State law requires the model plan to include practice at least quarterly. Schools and covered recreation authorities must adopt an AED emergency action plan, but they may use the state model or develop a different plan consistent with applicable requirements.
When reviewing a collapse, AED placement is only one part of the picture. The investigation may also examine accessibility during practices and games, staff preparation, equipment records, communications, and the timeline of the response.
If your family has questions about an athlete’s clearance or a program’s emergency preparedness, call The Becker Law Firm at 216-480-4620 to discuss the circumstances.
These cases illustrate different questions that can arise after an athlete’s cardiac arrest, from the evaluation of an underlying condition to the response on the field or court.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during a January 2, 2023, game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He received CPR on the field and survived. In April 2023, Hamlin said his doctors agreed that the cause was commotio cordis, a rare event in which a blow to the chest disrupts the heart’s rhythm and pumping function.
His collapse drew national attention to emergency cardiac care at athletic events.
Bronny James suffered cardiac arrest during a University of Southern California basketball workout on July 24, 2023. A family spokesperson later announced that medical evaluations had identified a significant congenital heart defect as the probable cause.
The public report does not establish that the condition should have been identified earlier or that any provider acted negligently.
The Becker Law Firm secured a $24 million settlement for a college basketball athlete who survived cardiac arrest but sustained permanent brain injuries. According to The Becker Law Firm’s published case account, the athlete was referred to cardiologists after repeated episodes of shortness of breath and chest pain during preseason conditioning. The account states that the cardiologists failed to identify a coronary artery anomaly and cleared him to return to full athletic participation. Two months later, he suffered cardiac arrest after basketball practice.
It also describes a failure by coaches to begin CPR or apply an AED, and that CPR did not begin until paramedics arrived, approximately eight and a half minutes into the cardiac arrest. The Becker Law Firm brought claims against both the cardiology group and the college, addressing the medical evaluation and the emergency response.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in another case.
Liability depends on the parties involved, their legal duties, what they knew, and whether a legally actionable failure caused harm. A cardiac arrest, missed condition, or statutory violation does not automatically establish a right to compensation.
A claim involving a sports physical or return-to-play evaluation may concern an incomplete history, overlooked complaints, misinterpreted findings, or failures in follow-up and communication. The central questions are whether the care fell below the applicable professional standard and whether that failure caused injury.
The Becker Law Firm handles cardiology malpractice claims, including cases involving an alleged failure to diagnose heart disease.
An investigation may examine whether a program complied with Lindsay’s Law, followed participation restrictions, obtained required clearance, and met applicable AED and emergency planning obligations. However, Ohio provides significant liability protections.
The Lindsay’s Law statutes protect covered schools, youth sports organizations, and specified personnel from civil damages arising from duties under those sections unless the conduct constitutes willful or wanton misconduct. Public entities and employees may also have additional immunity defenses. An ordinary negligence theory may therefore be insufficient for certain claims.
Ohio also provides protection for people who perform automated external defibrillation in good faith in schools, subject to statutory exceptions. A claim concerning an organization’s preparation or compliance requires a different analysis from a claim directed at someone who attempted emergency assistance.
A serious cardiac arrest can leave an athlete with lasting disabilities and extensive care needs. When an athlete passes away, the family may also question whether overlooked concerns or delays in emergency care contributed to the death. The Becker Law Firm represents families in complex medical malpractice and serious injury matters, including cases involving athletes who suffered cardiac arrest.
A case review can examine the sports physical, symptom reports, specialist records, clearance documents, emergency plans, AED records, and response timeline.
If your loved one suffered serious harm or died after an athletic collapse, call The Becker Law Firm at 216-480-4620 or contact us online for a free consultation.
