We all now apparently have more leisure time and many of us choose to spend this time enjoying sports, games and outdoor activities.

Sporting activities result in thousands of people suffering personal injury every year and these have generally been accepted as inevitable and regarded as being part and parcel of the game.

However injured parties are increasingly likely to explore the possibility of claiming compensation where their injury results from somebody else's negligence.

Everybody participating in sports and pastimes has a duty to take reasonable care and failure in this duty can result in a potential claim for compensation. Clearly, injuries arising from the normal physical contact of the game or from simple carelessness or errors of judgement would not necessarily be regarded as negligence whilst reckless or malicious conduct would be a different matter.

Claims might be brought not only against those participating, but also those involved in organising or supervising the activities, or those responsible for the equipment or premises.