Traumatic Brain Injury Caused by High School Sports

WASHINGTON, D.C., MARYLAND & VIRGINIA

We tend to think of high school sports as one of the highlights in a person’s youth, without considering the real, and sometimes fatal, risks involved. We all know that with sports come injuries, but even when thinking about sports injuries we typically think of them as injuries to the body that will heal with time. What most people don’t know is that about 20% of high school athletes sustain brain injuries (TBI) each season.

Football, probably the most loved high school sport, is the source of the most concussions, responsible for 60% of the 60,000+ concussions caused by high school sports each year. The greatest danger comes when concussions are overlooked or ignored, which happens often. This puts players at risk for “second impact syndrome,” a brain trauma event which is far more likely to cause long term damage or death than the initial concussion.

While parents and loved ones of athletes who have died or became permanently disabled may disagree, the CDC recommends safer practices, rather than abandoning high school sports altogether. A significant portion of sports-related brain injuries could be avoided by addressing the most common causes including:

• Defective helmets
• Disregarding warning signs of brain injury
• Allowing a player to return to play too soon after a brain injury, sometimes during the same game

Preventing brain injury in high school sports

The very nature of brain injuries means that brain injury victims do not always realize they have been hurt. It is the coach’s responsibility to be on the lookout for brain injury symptoms and to take action should they appear.

The CDC recommends that coaches look for the following warning signs:

• Appears dazed or stunned
• Is confused about assignment
• Forgets plays
• Is unsure of game, score, or opponent
• Loses Consciousness
• Shows behavior or personality changes
• Cannot recall events prior to hit
• Cannot recall events after hit

Symptoms reported by players:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Balance problems or dizziness
• Double or fuzzy vision
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Feeling sluggish
• Feeling foggy or groggy
• Concentration or memory problems
• Confusion

Brain injuries pose unique problems for adolescents

During adolescence neurological changes are occurring quickly, and the frontal lobes of the brain are in their final stages of development. This is the time in life when we develop personal identity and a sense of self. Damage to the brain during this period of development can pose unique challenges above and beyond the problems associated with brain injuries at other times of life. Teenagers who incur brain injuries often experience secondary problems including:

• Depression
• Suicide
• Anger
• Violence
• Substaqnce abuse
• Legal problems

Who is responsible?

When we entrust our children to schools we expect the experts to behave responsibly and look out for our children. Injuries caused by negligence and wrongdoing in high school athletics can result in complicated lawsuits. Multiple parties can be responsible including, but not limited to:

• Schools
• Coaches
• Health Care Professionals
• Equipment Manufacturers
• Property Owners

In addition to multiple responsible parties, if your child goes to a public school, government entities will be involved. Lawsuits involving government entities involve different procedures and time limits than lawsuits against individuals or businesses.

If you or a loved one has suffered a high school sports related traumatic brain injury in Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington DC, please email or call our experienced brain injury attorneys today. We are committed to obtaining justice for you - the victim.

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