Promoting Concussion Awareness in Hockey
Last Spring, legislation was passed in Washington State that prohibits young players who show signs of concussion from participating in sports unless they receive clearance from a doctor. The NFL also began running public service announcements addressing the issue.
According to this article in The Philadelphia Daily News, efforts like these are being embraced by the Team Comcast Youth Hockey Club. The club has received funding from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to develop a concussion-management program. More than 120 players participated in an “ImPACT” neurocognitive test, administered at CHOP Specialty care in Vorhees, NJ.
The Coach of the Comcast Youth Hockey club, and former Philadelphia Flyer, Keith Primeau said that he was comforted to know that boys have been tested and he would have information to fall back on if he has to decide if a player can play again. Primeau also said if he has a doubt, he errs on the side of caution.
The parents and the players themselves have also become educated in what to look for.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 300,000 sports-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) of mild to moderate severity (1), most of which can be classified as concussions (i.e., conditions of temporarily altered mental status as a result of head trauma), occur in the United States each year. The proportion of these concussions that are repeat injuries is unknown; however, there is an increased risk for subsequent TBI among persons who have had at least one previous TBI (2,3). Repeated mild brain injuries occurring over an extended period (i.e., months or years) can result in cumulative neurologic and cognitive deficits (4,5), but repeated mild brain injuries occurring within a short period (i.e., hours, days, or weeks) can be catastrophic or fatal. The latter phenomenon, termed “second impact syndrome.”
If you’re dealing with the aftermath of a Pennsylvania brain injury accident to a loved one, you are probably feeling stressed, scared, and alone. You can sue the responsible parties for their part in the brain injury, collecting compensation for medical treatment, pain and suffering, even punitive damages designed to discourage others from acting negligently.
The attorneys at Cherry, Fieger, & Marciano understand the stress and anxiety that can accompany a brain injury. They offer qualified, competent legal representation with proven results. Your time to file a Pennsylvania brain injury lawsuit may be limited by local law, so time is of the essence if you want to collect compensation for a brain injury.
