Researchers find growing risk of football-related brain injury

Researchers find growing risk of football-related brain injury

On Behalf of | Sep 18, 2019 | Brain Injury

Parents have been warned about the dangers their children risk on the football field. New research at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York and the Carnegie Mellon University revealed that playing football is even more dangerous than previously believed. Those big hits during tackles are not the only brain injury risks, and the studies show that all the minor hits throughout the season could cause long-term damage to a player’s brain.

Players have been monitored and removed from games when there are any signs of concussions, and repeat incidents have been recognized as the cause of ongoing deterioration of players’ brains. However, the gradual damage caused throughout the season has largely gone unnoticed. But when researchers placed devices on the helmets of 38 football players to measure accelerative force, they found a reduction in white brain matter in more than 60% of the participants by the end of the season.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is facing about 200 legal claims regarding accusations of schools knowingly exposing students to brain injury risks. One ongoing case in another state involves a student who died in a motorcycle accident. The coroner detected chronic traumatic encephalopathy during an autopsy, and the parents claim that this condition resulted from accumulated head trauma during years of playing football.

For parents in New York who are considering litigation against schools or colleges, the sensible step would be to consult with a personal injury attorney who has experience in dealing with brain injury-related claims. This is a complicated field of the law, and establishing negligence could be challenging. The successful presentation of such a lawsuit might lead to a monetary judgment to cover financial and emotional damages.