Brain Injury Lawyer

Legislation sponsored by Assembly members Pat Diegnan, Craig Coughlin, Thomas Giblin and Mila Jasey aimed at creating an awareness program on the prevention, risk and treatment of sports-related brain injuries has passed the full Assembly. The Bill would require student athletes who sustain a concussion to be immediately removed from the activity. Additionally, the Bill states that the student would not be allowed to return to the field until they have been evaluated by a doctor who is trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and has given the student written permission to return to physical activity.

Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced legislation in the United States Senate to create a grant program that would help ensure proper prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sports-related concussions in U.S. high schools and middle schools. The Concussion Treatment and Care Tools (ConTACT) Act establishes a five year grant program, authorized at $5 million for the first year, to be distributed to states to implement proven concussion management strategies.

Dr. Ruff concluded his presentation by discussing the controversy over whether the residuals of mild TBI can be permanent. Quoting Tom Kay, Ph.D., Dr. Ruff said there were believers and non-believers. The non-believers do not believe that the effects can be permanent, relying on various meta-analysis papers and sport concussions studies.

I read an interesting article recently in which Niki Popyer, a 16-year old resident of Marlboro, New Jersey, joined former players from the National Football League and asked Congress to develop concussion management guidelines after she was forced to give up basketball because she suffered multiple concussions. The bill would also establish a grant program to states to come up with ways to prevent, diagnose and treat sports-related concussions in schools.

The dangers of athletes returning to competition too soon after suffering from a sports-related concussion has been recognized for some time now. In fact, just a few years ago, the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey invited trainers and coaches from New Jersey high school athletic departments to attend a sports concussion seminar at Giant's Stadium in the Meadowlands.

I have previously written on the increasingly high number of sports-related brain injuries suffered by high school students and the devastating and lasting effects these injuries have on a child's brain. An article on MSNBC.com reports of a local high school student who was injured in a football game, and is now fighting for his life.

I have written several times in the past on the devastating effects of sport related concussions in children. More and more the injuries are being pushed aside in order to further a child's athletic career. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the staggering statistics. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, children between the ages of 9 and 18 suffer 96,000 sport related concussions each year.

"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States each year, including those for which no medical care is sought" writes Ronald Savage, Ed.D. in this month's issue of Brain Injury Professional, the official publication of the North America Brain Injury Society.

A recent issue of the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology contains a National Academy of Neurology position paper on the use of neuropsychological evaluation in the diagnosis and management of sports-related concussion.

Over 300,000 young athletes sustain brain injuries each year in sports- and recreation-related activities. Brain injuries, concussion among them, often lead to lifelong disability or even death -- too high a price to pay for mastery on the field.

David Lechuga, Ph.D., advised parents, athletes and coaches at the Enloe Conference Center on Sept. 20 at California University. He told them how concussions affect high school athletes if not properly treated.

The Arizona Brain Injury Association has just issued the following press release in which it states that they expect 10% of the state's high school football payers to suffer a concussion this season.