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Recent suicides of football players have triggered multiple investigations into brain injuries and the array of consequences that players face as a result of repeated head trauma. Studies are being conducted on the corpses of deceased football players to evaluate the connection of brain injuries and mental illness, as well as the plethora of other conditions that are now coupled with head trauma.
One particular study was performed on Kosta Karageorge, an individual who played football for Ohio State University. Karageorge had endured multiple “traumatic brain injuries” (TBIs) as a “defensive lineman.” Tragically, the football player “shot himself to death” in a successful suicide attempt. TBIs affect football players at all stages and levels, boxers and other athletes, and military. Classic signs include loss of memory and confusion, but in light of increased suicides, TBIs are likely to be correlated with “mental instability.”
Brain injuries are commonly associated with suicide attempts, depression, and drug and alcohol abuse. Alarmingly, there have been recent studies that show “measurable brain changes” in athletes that play football in high school, even “after a single season of play,” as reported by the “Radiological Society of North America.” To make matters worse, there has been an increase in the number of people who seek emergency care for brain trauma over the last several years.
Recent studies bolster the supposition “that repeated concussions . . . cause permanent brain damage.”
Recurring brain injuries lead to more severe symptoms, such as “post-concussion syndrome,” a condition that typically affects concentration. Concussions may also trigger “epilepsy, vertigo, personality changes, Parkinson’s disease and dementia.” Other conditions such as “chronic traumatic encephalopathy” (CTE) may exhibit indications of dementia, behavior changes, as well as symptoms related to ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
What actions are being taken by educational facilities and the NFL in order to protect their players? Do football players have any legal rights against these authorities? Can athletes who suffer from TBIs and other brain injuries have their past, present, and future medical expenses paid for? May a football player recover for the pain and suffering endured as a result of these conditions?
If you suffered a concussion in Northern or Southern California, the law firm of J&Y can help answer your questions and guide you in the direction of recovery.