Research Shows That Players in Sports Other Than Football, Also Suffer From Traumatic Brain Injuries
Sep 13, 2017
Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Perlmutter & Schuelke, PLLC
Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) September 13, 2017 – The prevalence of traumatic brain injuries in players in contact sports is now well known. In fact, the initial discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was in the brains of deceased football players.
A new study published by Boston University (BU) scientists revealed that 110 out of 111 post-mortem brains showed signs of CTE. Brain damage allegations have been trailing the National Football League (NFL) for over a decade. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in football players has seen congressional hearings, been the cited reason for a class action lawsuit launched by players and the hopeful beneficiary of efforts to design new helmets and ban certain kinds of hits.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease linked to repetitive head trauma, was first revealed in football players. Since the initial discovery of the disease and what it does to the brain scientists have discovered that linebackers, who engage in a series of smaller collisions during every play, do worse than other players who may take harder, but fewer hits during the average game. But football is not the only contact sport where repeated head trauma is common.
Neurologists are stating the trauma sustained by soccer players may rival football’s impact on the brain. It does not matter how head contact/impact comes about, but that it is done repeatedly.
While soccer, with 265 million players globally, is not traditionally considered a contact sport, the way the game is played does result in concussions due to heading the ball, player-to-player head bunting contact, and falls. In recreational games, soccer players head the ball roughly six to 12 times a game, deflecting balls traveling up to 50 mph. While practicing, players head the ball up to 30 or more times repeatedly while performing drills.
In the past 10 years, DC United, a U.S. pro soccer team lost six players due to concussions. This season at least two of their players missed field time with head trauma. Furthermore, case studies show retired Brazilian and English players with a history of concussions while playing later showed signs of dementia with subsequent autopsies revealing CTE.
Certainly all of the traumatic brain injury issues in soccer are beginning to become more visible thanks to lawsuits and the settlement of a potential class action lawsuit. Charlie Horton, a former DC United goalkeeper, stated in his lawsuit that a teammate deliberately elbowed him in the head resulting in concussion and the end of his career. In 2015 the U.S. Soccer Federation settled a potential class action lawsuit by limiting “heading” by youth players.
“The legal issue usually involved in many lawsuits of this nature is whether or not the team management/owners gave players sufficient warning to make informed choices about running the risk of head injuries,” explained Brooks Schuelke, an Austin traumatic brain injury attorney. “If you are in a situation where you feel you were not properly advised about the dangers of playing contact sports, seek legal counsel to find out your rights and how to file a lawsuit if you wish to proceed in that manner.”
Learn more at http://www.civtrial.com
Perlmutter & Schuelke, PLLC
206 East 9th Street, Ste. 1511
Austin, TX 78701
Call (512) 476-4944
- Texas’s Texting While Driving Ban Goes Into Affect Today. Will It Make You Less Safe?
Today, Texas’s new texting while driving ban goes into affect. For the first time, Texas will have a state-wide ban. A violation of the ban is a misdemeanor, with fines between $25 and $99 for first time offenders and $100 to $200 for repeat offenders. For years, I’ve been critical of Texas officials for their […] - Will Victims Of Hurricane Harvey Be Victimized Twice?
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those in the path of Hurricane Harvey. The potential damage is simply heartbreaking. Unfortunately, due to the timing of the storm, it also makes it likely that many of you who suffer property damage will be victimized twice. Why do I say that? Last legislative session, the […] - I’ve Handled Dog Attacks, But A Pig Attack? What’s The Law On That?
Over the years, I’ve handled a number of dog attack cases, but last week, I read a story about a 3 year old Alabama girl who was injured when she was attacked by a neighbor’s pig. I don’t want to make light of the story because it sounds like the girl suffered severe injuries. But […]
