Our Boston injury attorneys note recent articles in Sports Illustrated and USA Today highlight the risk of head injuries and Massachusetts sports injuries, particularly for high-school athletes.
Massachusetts Personal Injury Attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman has a special interest in helping young athletes who have been injured in a sporting accident. The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation was founded after his sister suffered a debilitating back injury that ended a promising tennis career after she was placed on an inappropriate weight-training program.
Sports Illustrated reports that smaller hits than previously thought may lead to concussions, particularly in contact sports like hockey and football. And the resulting brain damage begins much earlier than previously thought.
Researchers had believed that 80 times the force of gravity was needed to cause concussions — heading a soccer ball produces about 20gs. They were stunned to learn hits of 100gs or more were common in high school football practice. Participants in the study subsequently scored 20 percent lower on memory tests.
And a concussion was not necessary for reduced test scores. Of 11 players examined in one set, three had suffered concussions while the other eight had not. Nevertheless, four of those eight players showed significant declines in visual memory. Moreover, the force of the hits was primarily in the 40g to 80g range, or about half of what was previously though necessary for adverse results.
Traumatic brain injury can range from a concussion to a penetrating head injury suffered in a car accident. Symptoms can take months to surface and the full impact of such injuries may not be known for years, or even decades. Our Massachusetts injury lawyers believe it is imperative for those who suffer a head injury to seek the advice of an experienced law firm. While such injuries may present as little more than a minor annoyance, taking the steps to protect your rights in the event a claim needs to be filed in the future can be a critical step to protecting the rights of you and your family.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports about 1.7 million people will suffer a brain injury each year. Of those, 1.4 million will be seen in hospital emergency rooms, 275,000 will be hospitalized and 52,000 will die.
The most common causes of TBI are auto accidents, fall and sports-related injuries.
If you have been injured in a sporting accident in Massachusetts, contact Boston Injury Attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333.