On May 16, 2025, Philadelphia-based attorneys Dylan Henry, Kimberly Sachs, and Elizabeth Catalano of Montgomery McCracken Walker Rhoads LP presented at the College Athletic Trainers’ Society (CATS) Symposium in Las Vegas. Their talk, Legal Updates for Athletic Trainers, covered a wide range of timely topics from the evolving legal landscape in sports injury cases, to litigation strategies, and emerging issues faced by collegiate athletic trainers.
The attorneys focused on two critical elements in sports injury litigation: breach and causation. These elements are pivotal in many catastrophic sports injury cases, particularly as the duty of care owed by team doctors, athletic trainers, and universities to athletes continues to evolve. The attorneys shared insights on how to meet the legal standard of care and mitigate legal risks by offering practical advice for potential defendants in these complex cases and emphasizing the significance of thorough documentation and ongoing education for athletic trainers. The team also discussed the battle over establishing legal causation and the need for expert testimony— one of the most challenging aspects of litigating sports injury cases. Using cases involving allegations of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), one of the most high-profile and costly sports injury claims, the speakers highlighted the need for expert testimony and the challenges faced due to the uncertainty underlying the science relating to these injuries.
The panel also explored other high-stakes injury cases, such as exertional heat stroke and sickle cell-related incidents, stressing the importance of controlled, supervised strength and conditioning programs as preventive measures. Further, the panel addressed growing concerns surrounding athlete mental health, its intersection with potentially harmful coach conduct, and the resulting legal duties of athletic trainers and sports psychologists in these scenarios.
To illustrate how these complex issues play out in real-world legal settings, the panel conducted a mock cross-examination of a team doctor and athletic trainer in an exertional sickle cell crisis case, demonstrating how plaintiffs’ attorneys might attempt to establish liability in such cases, and how defendants can combat these tactics.
Montgomery McCracken’s well-known Catastrophic Sports Injury Defense practice group “regularly authors articles on the intersection of sports medicine and the law and presents on these issues across the country,” according to the firm. “Always on the lookout for new opportunities to engage with emerging trends, the team remains committed to staying at the forefront of sports law, particularly in addressing the evolving legal challenges faced by athletic trainers, coaches, and institutions.”
