Head Injury Left Teen in Coma, Required Multiple Surgeries

Brian Applegate, a 17-year-old former star athlete and water polo player in Southern California, was forced to “relearn everything after a skateboarding accident in May left him with a severe brain injury.” Indeed, Applegate “spent 5 weeks in a coma and underwent several surgeries.” Now that his life is no longer in danger, he “spends hours in daily rehabilitation, relearning everything from walking, to talking, to basics like catching a ball.” And he knows that his life-threatening injuries could have been prevented if he had only worn a helmet.

Brian and his family want to raise awareness about the important link between helmet use and brain injury prevention. As Brian explains, “you could die if you hit your head when you’re skateboarding.” As such, he emphasizes that “it’s just so important to remember” to wear a helmet. Brian’s mother hopes that other California families will hear the story about her son or listen to his words in order to prevent child injuries in the future. After all, her son’s injury simply “was avoidable,” as she articulates.

Although Brian is in the process of recovery, he isn’t living life like a normal San Diego-area teenagers. To be sure, his mother emphasizes that Brian has “a long road ahead” as he continues to make progress after sustaining the severe TBI that nearly took his life.

Required Helmet Use for Teens in California

California actually requires teens on skateboards, bicycles, and scooters to wear a helmet if they’re under the age of 18. According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles and Section 21212 of the Vehicle Code:

• “A person under 18 years of age shall not operate a bicycle, a nonmotorized scooter, or a skateboard, nor shall they wear in-line or roller skates, nor ride upon a bicycle, a nonmotorized scooter, or a skateboard as a passenger, upon a street, bikeway . . . or any other public bicycle path or trail unless that person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet . . . .”

The helmet law is intended to prevent precisely the type of injury that Brian sustained as a result of failing to wear protective gear. To be sure, a 2009 study from the Journal of Pediatrics reported that injury rates for children and teens are approximately 20 percent lower in states with helmet laws, suggesting that helmets really are an important preventive tool.

It’s important to impress upon our children that helmets can prevent serious brain injuries. Whether our kids are riding bicycles, playing contact sports, or using skateboards, helmets are an essential piece of protective equipment. If your child recently sustained a TBI, it’s important to contact an experienced San Diego brain injury attorney. You may be able to file a claim for compensation.

Photo Credit: pamocampo via Compfight cc See Related Blog Posts: High School Concussions Happen During Practice Helmet Technology Identifies Brain Injuries in Youth Athletes

Call for Action in High School Practices

Did you know that more than 50 percent of all concussions sustained among high school and college players take place during practices? That’s the conclusion drawn by researchers in a new study in JAMA Pediatrics, which examined data from more than 20,000 athlete seasons. If so many TBIs are taking place during practices, should coaches and other officials be doing more to prevent these serious injuries?

As many of us know, sustaining multiple concussions can put athletes at risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition that ultimately can lead to untimely death. If young athletes can practice sports more safely, coaches and trainers should be doing more to prevent concussions. According to the authors of the study, “concussions during practice might be mitigated and should prompt an evaluation of technique and head impact exposure.” Further, the researchers recognized that, “although it is more difficult to change the intensity or conditions of a game,” coaches and others can employ “many strategies during practice to limit player-to-player contact and other potentially injurious behaviors.”

During the 2012 and 2013 football seasons alone, players sustained a total of 1,198 reported concussions. Of those reported, about 12 percent occurred in youth football, nearly 22 percent in college, and more than 66 percent in high school football. While TBIs occurred most frequently at the high school level, the study emphasized that “football practices were a major source of concussion at all three levels of competition.”

California Concussion Safety Law

In California, we have a concussion safety law that aims to help with the prevention and treatment of sports-related head injuries. The law specifically governs “limitations to full contact activities in tackle football, concussion management, and return to play following concussion and other head injury.”

Recognizing the number of concussions sustained by student athletes each year, the California legislature instituted language that would help to protect young football players after sustaining brain trauma. In short, coaches and trainers must take certain steps to ensure the safety of athletes. And if they fail to abide by the law, they may be liable for injuries.

Sports-related concussions can have serious and even fatal consequences. If you have a child who plays contact sports like football or hockey, it’s important to understand the risks. And if your child sustains multiple concussions during the course of play, you may be able to file a claim for financial compensation. Don’t hesitate to discuss your case with an experienced San Diego brain injury attorney.

Photo Credit: NickWeiler via Compfight cc See Related Blog Posts: Helmet Technology Identifies Brain Injuries in Youth Athletes Brain Injury Awareness Month

Brain Sensor Technology Sends Alerts

California youth sports leagues appear to be leading the way in brain injury prevention. The Southern Broncos are the first Pop Warner team in California—as well as the first team in the country—to require helmets with brain sensors. According to the article, “they launched a three-year pilot program with sensors manufactured by a Maryland company called Brain Sentry.” The device is just about the size of a USB drive, and it’s placed in the back of each player’s helmet. When a player suffers a potentially dangerous hit, “the alert light turns solid red.”

Last season, five different young players “had their sensors go off,” requiring them to leave the field immediately for a medical evaluation. The league president, Joe Rafter, indicated that one of the 12-year-old players who left the field “was diagnosed with a concussion and kept out of practice and games for two weeks.” Rafter emphasized that parents are more anxious than ever about letting their kids play contact sports, in particular football. While the brain sensors aren’t convincing parents on the whole that the game is safe, “it completely changes the conversation,” Rafter said.

But is youth football really safe for kids? As many of us have read, multiple concussions can result in the deadly effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) years and even decades following hits to the head. Based on research from Boston University’s CTE Center, just two concussions—even during a youth football career—could produce CTE symptoms down the road. If this is the case, can helmets with brain sensors really do enough to lessen the effects of sports-related concussions?

Youth Football Numbers On the Decline

After the recent NFL lawsuits concerning debilitating head trauma became national news, youth football leagues saw drastic drops in numbers. However, “those numbers have since leveled out,” according to Pop Warner officials, who reported about 225,000 youth players in the league over the last couple of years.

Numbers at the high school level, too, have dropped. Between 2007 and 2012, according to the California Interscholastic Federation, high schools have seen a 5 percent decline in football participation across the state. However, last year the numbers increased ever so slightly (by 1 percent).

In response to the “seriously threatened” future of professional football—after all, if kids aren’t signing up to play in high school, the chances of playing in college and the pros also declines—advocates for the sport got together to help fund the brain sensor technology. In conjunction with parents involved in youth football programs, Brain Sentry is funded “at a cost of approximately $8,500 per year,” which “includes baseline concussion tests for all 130 players” in the northern California league.

Will the use of such technology actually prevent brain injuries in practice? Or should youth football programs be required to take additional steps to limits the number of mild TBIs that occur on the field? If you have questions or concerns about your child’s recent sports-related brain injury, you should speak to an experienced San Diego brain injury attorney. You may be able to file a claim for compensation.

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Not Alone in Brain Injury Awareness, Treatment, and Prevention

Each year, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) observes Brain Injury Awareness Month and develops a theme for its advocacy work. Between 2015-2017, the theme is “not alone.” According to the BIAA, “the Not Alone campaign provides a platform for educating the general public about the incidence of brain injury and the needs of people with brain injuries and their families.” In addition, the campaign “lends itself to outreach within the brain injury community to de-stigmatize the injury, empower those who have survived, and promote the many types of support that are available.”

According to a recent article from US Newswire, the Brain Injury Association of California (BIACAL) has recognized Brain Injury Awareness Month by hosting the “Walk For Brain Injury.” The event took place at the State Capitol on March 22md, raising tens of thousands of dollars for brain injury awareness. This year, 40 percent of the gross proceeds benefitted UC Davis Medical Center, which served as the local host organization. BIACAL was founded in 2005, and it helps California residents by “providing information and resources, education, prevention and awareness, and legislative advocacy.”

To aid efforts on a local basis, the BIAA provides a state advocacy toolkit aimed to help “state level advocates, both seasoned and new to the world of advocacy,” when it comes to brain injury awareness campaigns. The more you know about preventing head trauma, the more likely we’ll be able to reduce the number of injuries that occur each year. You can follow the BIAA’s campaign at #NotAloneinBrainInjury.

Facts and Statistics from the Brain Injury Association of America

What do you need to know about traumatic brain injuries? According to the BIAA, you should have an idea of some of the following facts and figures:

• At least 2.5 million Americans sustain brain injuries every year. Of those injury victims, more than 2 million require emergency room treatment, and nearly 300,000 must be hospitalized.
• 50,000 people die from TBIs each year.
• Falls are the leading cause of serious and fatal TBIs. Other causes of severe head trauma include by struck by an object, being involved in an auto accident, and being the victim of an assault.
• More than 12 million Americans currently are living with the effects of an acquired brain injury.

If you or a loved one recently sustained a traumatic brain injury in an accident caused by another person’s negligence, you should speak with an experienced San Diego brain injury lawyer about your case. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to discuss filing a claim for financial compensation.

Photo Credit: msmiffy via Compfight cc See Related Blog Posts: Carlsbad Resident Suffers Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluating Concussions with Eye-Tracking Technology

Background of the New Brain Injury Technology

The new technology was developed at the NYU Langone Medical Center using 169 patients, according to a recent article in Forbes. Of those patients 157 were “neurologically normal,” or had no brain injury. Twelve of the patients had brain injuries, or “demonstrated specific abnormalities in cranial nerves controlling eye movement or brain swelling close to those nerves.” When these nerves are damaged—in other words, when a person sustains a brain injury—their eye movements change.

For the study, the researchers required the patients to watch television shows or music videos, and they monitored their vertical and horizontal eye movements. In patients without brain injuries, the ratio of horizontal to vertical eye movements is typically equal, or 1:1. In patients with brain injuries, however, that ratio changes. And depending on the ratio (more horizontal movements versus more vertical movements), physicians can locate nerves that have been damaged by head trauma.

While medical professional treating patients with severe TBIs typically can locate the source of the brain injury or the area affected by the trauma, patients with concussions aren’t as easy to evaluate. Often, the specific location of the nerve damage or brain swelling isn’t readily apparent. Now, this eye-tracking technology may offer a new method to make these evaluations.

Wide Use and Accessibility

One of the great things about this new technology, several of the researchers emphasize, is that it’s transportable to many different medical professionals and diagnosis sites. For instance, it won’t need to be used only in hospitals. Rather, emergency medical responders will be able to assess patients after suspected brain injuries, and more significantly, sports venues may be able to employ it to evaluate athletes.

Athletes in contact sports who suffer concussions can be at risk of life-threatening diseases like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). With eye-tracking technology, sideline doctors may be able to use this “simple non-invasive screening test” to determine whether a football player, for instance, has suffered a concussion on the field.

Right now, the balance error scoring system (BESS) test is the one primarily used to determine whether athletes have sustained concussions. How does it work? It allows doctors to assess abnormalities in balance. However, many physicians emphasize that it’s a problematic test if the player has difficulty standing for an unrelated reason (such as a spinal cord injury or a hip injury). The new eye-tracking technology could be extremely useful when athletes in contact sports sustain multiple injuries, including suspected head trauma. To be sure, the new technology could be used regardless of whether a patient is able to stand upright during the test.

If your loved one recently suffered a concussion or other traumatic brain injury, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. Contact an experienced San Diego brain injury lawyer today to learn more about how we can assist with your case.

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Reasons for TBIs Shift from Childhood to Adulthood

A recent article on NPR discussed the different ways in which children sustain TBIs. Adults sustain brain injuries most often following involvement in a car accident, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Children, however, tend to sustain TBIs more frequently from falls. According to the article, the changes in the ways that children, teens, and adults suffer injuries tend to shift as “their forms of motion change.” And the types of fall-related injuries also vary depending upon the age of the child.

An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine emphasized that young children sustain brain-related injuries from different types of falls than do young adults. The authors of the paper are members of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network, and their research involved analyzing data from 43,000 children admitted into emergency rooms from “blunt force head trauma” between the years of 2004 and 2006.

Falls Most Common Cause of Childhood Head Injuries

The article’s authors found that three primary causes of blunt force head trauma exist for children under the age of two:

• Falls from elevation, or falls from heights, accounted for 54 percent—more than half—of all emergency room visits related to blunt force trauma to the head;
• Falls down the stairs led to 14 percent of all emergency room visits for kids under two years old;
• Falls to the ground from a walking or standing position resulted in nine percent of emergency room visits.

As is evident, the top three causes of brain injuries for children under the age of two are all linked to fall-related injuries. By and large, falls from heights produce the highest number of serious injuries in these young kids. At the same time, however, it is important to note that falls that occur while a child is standing, walking, or running can also lead to a severe head trauma. How many times has your child slipped and fallen while running on the kitchen tile? How frequently does your toddler trip and fall on the playground asphalt?

For kids between the ages of two and twelve years old, the researchers also discovered that fall-related injuries are the major cause of serious head injuries. The top three causes of head trauma for kids in this age group include:

• Falls from elevation, or falls from heights, accounted for 24 percent of head injuries;
• Falls to the ground from the position of standing, walking, or running led to 14 percent of brain trauma in children between the ages of two and twelve;
• About nine percent of head injuries in this age group resulted from being accidentally struck in the head by an object.

As children grow older, the causes of their head injuries look more like those of adults. Specifically, teen head traumas most frequently result from assault (24 percent), sports (19 percent), and car accidents (18 percent).

If your child suffered a brain injury in a dangerous slip and fall accident, you may be able to file a lawsuit. Contact a dedicated San Diego premises liability lawyer today to discuss your options.

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Head Health Challenges Allots Funds for Brain Injury Research Teams

In connection with Under Armour and GE, the league developed the “Head Health Challenge,” a plan designed to give researchers “funding to develop new ways to prevent, measure, and detect brain injury.” All in all, it is a $60 million initiative that will provide money to different groups in the months and years to come. The challenge was launched last year.

How is the money allotted? In many ways, it works like a contest, and the NFL recently announced the winners. Seven research teams will each receive $500,000, and they will also have a chance at winning an extra $1 million in 2015. They can award additional funds if the organizers find “continued innovation advancements, potential for commercialization, and on-field impact.” Researchers from 19 different countries submitted proposals, and the organizers received about 500 different proposals in total between September 2013 and February 2014, according to the NFL press release.

These winners are part of the second group to receive funding. The first group of winners received funds back in January; their projects were linked closely to the diagnosis and treatment of brain injuries. This second group of winners, according to the NFL’s press release, contains research projects that will focus more closely on protection from TBIs and new ways to measure head impacts upon collision.

Winning Projects Range from Helmet Improvement to TBI Diagnosis

Some of the winners include:

• UCLA and Architected Materials, Inc.: Based in southern California, this winning research team is in the process of developing an “energy-absorbing microlattice materials for improved helmet performance.” The material would be used as an under-helmet liner that would help to absorb energy during head hits.
• University of Miami Miller School of Medicine: This research team is in the process of developing a “portable eye-goggle that gathers and measures precise eye movements,” which “will assist in identifying mild traumatic brain injury in real time, leading to more accurate concussion diagnosis.”
• Viconic Sporting, Inc.: In Detroit, this research group is creating a synthetic turf system that will be more absorbent, and thus will help to make the football fields themselves safer for players.
• University of Washington and VICIS: This team will develop a “revolutionary football helmet” created with a shock-absorbing structure.

The San Diego area, as well as regions across the country with amateur and professional sports teams, needs more attention to brain injury prevention. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can lead to serious, life-threatening, and life-long consequences. If you or a loved one recently sustained a sports-related TBI, it is important to talk about your case with an experienced San Diego brain injury attorney. You may be eligible for compensation.

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Image Credit: GaborfromHungary via morgueFile

Even after the NFL settlement related to concussions and traumatic brain injuries last summer, many former players are still not satisfied. A current lawsuit accuses the NFL of “hiding information that linked concussions to brain injuries,” according to a recent story from ABC News. In response to those accusations, the NFL filed documents suggesting that “NFL players are likely to suffer chronic brain injury at a significantly higher rate than the general population,” and “show neurocognitive impairment at a much younger age.”

What kinds of long-term symptoms do tackle football players experience? According to the article, the following statistics concern rates for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia:

• Former NFL players between the ages of 50 and 59 develop Alzheimer’s and dementia “at rates 14 to 23 times higher than the general population in the same age range;”
• Former NFL players between the ages of six and 64 are up to 35 times more likely than the general population to develop Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

In addition to developing these dangerous diseases more frequently than others, NFL players are also more likely to receive diagnoses at an earlier age.

Concussion Settlement and Compensation

Will all these players receive adequate compensation from the concussion settlement? The court documents anticipate 3,488 former players making almost 6,700 claims for “payments related to brain injuries caused by playing football.” Of the estimated claims, more than 90 percent are expected for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, or dementia. However, it is likely that a majority of the players are “ineligible for compensation before reaching age 80.”

Referring to the data, the former players question whether the settlement actually provides suitable coverage for sports-related brain injuries. To be sure, the average player with Parkinson’s will only receive about $320,000, while the average player with Alzheimer’s will only get $340,000. According to an attorney for the former players, that is “just utter nonsense.”

The NFL’s actuary report suggested even higher rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s for former players in all age groups. According to the article, “players younger than 50 were at least eight times more likely to develop those diseases.”

Judge Brody is asking to see documentation about the settlement due to concerns that “not all qualifying players would be paid.” What are the players hoping to get? According to the article, players who were in the league for at least 5 years would be eligible for a plan that would pay up to $5 million for players with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), up to $4 million for deaths resulting from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), $3.5 million for Alzheimer’s disease, and up to $3 million for “moderate dementia and other neurocognitive problems.”

While approximately 28 percent of all former players are expected to meet the eligibility requirements to receive this compensation, only about 60 percent of that group are actually likely to seek compensation, given their involvement in other class-action litigation, ABC News reported.

Do you have a loved one who sustained a sport-related concussion or other traumatic brain injury? It is important to discuss your case with an experienced San Diego brain injury lawyer. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about how we can assist you.

Photo Credit: greyerbaby via morgueFile See Related Blog Posts: New California Law Aimed at Brain Injury Prevention

Brain injuries and American football have, unfortunately, seemed to go hand in hand in recent years. Despite the popularity of contact sports, commentators have suggested that contact sports may have to be scaled back in the coming years due to the high risk of serious head trauma. Research suggests that even a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) like a concussion can have life-threatening consequences. Indeed, a number of professional football players have been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a dangerous degenerative brain condition caused by multiple concussions, while a number of high school athletes have sustained severe brain injuries on the field.

What’s California doing to prevent serious head injuries? According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, Governor Jerry Brown recently signed into law a bill that is designed to protect student athletes from serious TBIs. Specifically, it “prohibits football teams at middle and high schools from holding full-contact practices that exceed 90 minutes a day,” while it also “limits the number of full-contact practices during the season to two per week.” In addition, it prohibits coaches from holding any contact practices at any point during the off-season.

The restrictions in the new law will take effect on January 1, 2015. They’re designed, the article reported, “to help reduce concussions and other serious brain injuries.”

History of the Law and Teen Sports Injuries

How did the law come about? Assemblyman Ken Cooley introduced the bill, AB 2127, emphasizing that its “practice guidelines will reassure parents that their kids can learn football safely through three hours of full-contact practice.” He explained that the prohibitions weren’t intended to prevent teenage athletes from playing football. Rather, he made clear, the new law would “maximize conditioning and skill development while minimizing concussion risk.”

The bill received support from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), an organization in charge of high school sports in California. In addition to the new law, the CIF also put a new rule into effect that will begin in schools this fall. The rule prohibits high school coaches in our state from spending more than 18 hours each week on practices. John Aguirre, the commissioner of the Los Angeles City Section and a former football coach, emphasized that “everybody is going to have to educate themselves and transition within the limitations.”

As you might imagine, a number of high school football coaches aren’t very happy about the new law and the CIF rule. According to a coach at Los Angeles Roosevelt High School, football teams “need to have full contact” in the off-season. Without it, he argues, coaches won’t be able to “figure out who can play.”

Are the new prohibitions necessary to prevent head injuries? Do we really need these restrictions when we’re just talking about high school athletes? In short, the answer is yes. Based on data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 4 million high schoolers sustain brain injuries every year, and many of those serious injuries occur during practices for popular contact sports like football.

If your child sustained a concussion or other severe brain injury while playing high school sports, it’s very important to talk to an experienced San Diego brain injury attorney. You may be able to seek compensation. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you.

Photo Credit: jedIII via Compfight cc See Related Blog Posts: Female Athletes, High School Athletes, and Brain Injury Severity Sports-Related Brain Injuries

According to a recent article in Yahoo Sports, Tehachapi High School baseball coach Chris Olofson “suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain after being hit in the head by a line drive while coaching.” Will the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) change its tune about coaching and safety requirements?

Brain injuries can result from many different accidents, but contact sports can be particularly dangerous. If you have sustained a TBI while playing or coaching sports, you may be eligible to file a claim for compensation. ASan Diego brain injury lawyer at the Walton Law Firm can discuss your case with you today.

History of Baseball Coaching and Traumatic Brain Injury

Olofson isn’t the first baseball coach to sustain a severe head trauma while coaching a game. Back in 2007, Mike Coolbaugh, a 35-year-old minor league coach for the Tulsa Drillers, suffered an injury similar to Olofson’s and died. As a result of Coolbaugh’s death, the MLB adopted a new rule that “required base coaches to wear protective helmets.”

However, the NFHS hasn’t made the same decision. After Coolbaugh died from a TBI sustained while coaching, the NFHS recently emphasized that it “has not mandated that adult coaches shall wear protective head gear while occupying a coach’s box.” Rather, the NFHS explained, “it is the prerogative of the respective coach to wear such protective equipment.”

While certain states require coaches to wear protective helmets when they’re on the baselines, California isn’t one of those states. And Elliott Hopkins, the NFHS Baseball Rules Editor, indicated back in 2008 that he didn’t believe helmets were necessary for high school coaches. “We talked about it and gathered feedback,” he said, and ultimately determined that “coaches are far enough back” so as not to be in danger of sustaining a brain injury on the field. As a result, Elliott indicated that, “if a coach thinks it is necessary, then they are welcome to wear a helmet.”

However, Olofson’s injury makes clear that there’s a danger of brain injury while coaching high school baseball, and requiring coaches to wear helmets could prevent serious head trauma. The NFHS has indicated that it continues to conduct research “to determine if protective head gear should be required and, if so, which type (hard liner, flapless, one-flap, dual flap) would be most effective.”

Severity of Baseball Head Trauma

Unlike the fatal brain injury sustained by Coolbaugh back in 2007, Olofson appears to be recovering from his head trauma. After being hit by the line drive, he was rushed to a nearby medical center, where he was listed as being in critical condition. However, a day after the accident, Olofson “remained stable.” Indeed, he wanted to know whether his team had won the game.

But it’s important to remember that Olofson was lucky. Many brain injury victims don’t recover fully, and for some people, like Coolbaugh, their injuries prove fatal. If you or a loved one has sustained a traumatic brain injury, don’t hesitate to contact an experiencedCalifornia brain injury attorney to learn more about filing a claim for financial compensation.

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