Poorly maintained fields increase concussion risk

When it comes to concussions, does it matter what type of field the athletes are playing on?

Head injuries and life-threatening conditions such as CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) in athletes, especially football players, have been getting lots of (long overdue) attention in recent years. In an effort to help protect players,  we’ve seen sports leagues, coaches, trainers, medical professionals, and equipment manufacturers work to make the games safer — a better helmet design, teaching safer tackling techniques, greater enforcement of game rules, and earlier detection of head injury to avoid repeated blows. Little attention has been paid to the actual playing surface, even though 1 in 5 concussions involve a head-to-surface collision.

A recent study by the Concussion Legacy Foundation urges athletic organizations and groundskeepers to treat the field with the same care as they would any other piece of valuable equipment or safety technology, […]

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Concussion Lawsuit Against NHL Gains Momentum

We’ve already heard a lot about the lawsuit against the NFL filed by thousands of former players and their families who have suffered due to football-related head injuries. A growing body of evidence links traumatic brain injuries (such as those sustained by athletes) to serious long-term effects, drug use, depression, and suicide.

It should come as no surprise that a similar class-action lawsuit against the National Hockey League is gaining momentum. In recent weeks, the number of former players involved in the suit has nearly doubled. Earlier this week, Steve Montador, an NHL retiree with a history of concussions was found dead at the age of 35. It was a concussion that ended Montador’s career in 2012, and he admitted to struggling with depression the following year.

There are several blogs and papers online that explain what many people do not realize about head injuries. […]

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Game changer: player’s tragic death highlights concussion problem

As you may have heard by now, on Sunday, November 30,  22-year-old Ohio State University football player Kosta Karageorge was found dead in a dumpster in Columbus, OH, as the result of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Preceding his death, he sent his mother some troubling text messages, apologizing, and saying that his concussions had “messed up” his head.

Throughout his athletic career in football and wrestling, Karageorge suffered multiple concussions, the most recent of which occurred just weeks before his death. As we have observed earlier this year, it turns out that concussions are not uncommon for athletes at the professional, college, and high school levels. In fact, it has been described as an “epidemic.” It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of student athletes suffer from concussions each year, and many more likely go unreported and untreated. […]

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More than 200 former NFL players and families opt out of concussion settlement

 

Former NFL players concerned that concussion settlement won’t be enough

ESPN reports that court documents filed on Monday show more than 200 former football players or their families have opted out of the proposed settlement for the class action suit of NFL concussion claims. The concussion lawsuit was initially filed by more than 5,000 ex-players against the league.

The claims administrator sent settlement notices to 25,040 players and 8,924 relatives of deceased players, according to court records. According to the claims administrator, 196 former players, 22 relatives of NFL retirees, and two others opted out of the settlement by last month’s deadline. The Associated Press reported that 14 other players tried to opt out, but didn’t file the paperwork quickly enough. According to CBS Sports, a number of former players are concerned that the settlement numbers won’t meet their individual needs. […]

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Not much has changed after concussion lawsuits

We saw another example this weekend of how football coaches allow players to stay in the game with head injuries. Michigan coach Brady Hoke failed to remove sophomore quarterback Shane Morris after he received a crushing blow from a defensive end. Morris appeared dazed, stumbling after the hit. The coaches let him stay in the game for the next play and then removed him, only to return him to the game later for another play.

As this played out on national TV, it raised questions to the necessity of a concussion protocol at the college level, that would bar teams from allowing players with head injuries, and concussion-like symptoms, to continue playing without further evaluation.

CBS Sports reported that in his postgame news conference Coach Hoke said, “I don’t know if he had a concussion or not, I don’t know that. Shane’s a pretty competitive, […]

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