The concussion suffered by University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow in Saturday’s game against Kentucky certainly has the sports world talking about the impact of the injury on Florida’s season, but to brain injury lawyers like me, the real issue should be proper education of medical personnel involved in high school and collegiate athletics.  Thankfully more trainers on the gridiron sidelines are following the American Academy of Neurology guidelines on grading of concussions:  Grade 1 concussion is defined as the athlete having transient confusion with no loss of consciousness. A Grade 2 concussion is when those symptoms, including mental confusion, lasts longer than 15 minutes, and a Grade 3 concussion is when there is any loss of consciousness, even if it is for just seconds.  A player with a Grade 1 concussion can return to play the same day, while a Grade 3 concussion may require a player to be out for a full week.  An important consideration is also whether a player has suffered multiple concussions. 

Parents, please make sure your child’s football, lacrosse and soccer coaches and medical staff are properly educated on recognizing and treating concussions.  Do not assume such personnel have been properly trained.  While many are, some have not received the requisite training to properly evaluate head injuries, and tend to follow the old school thought that a player “just got his bell rung, he’ll be okay”.  Nothing is further from the truth.  Take it seriously, and protect your child.  For more information regarding brain injury, concussion, and proper head injury evaluation in children, please click on the following link:  http://brainline.org/content/2008/08/concussions.html?gclid=CP2j3JerlJ0CFcZM5Qod9zPN7Q

It has been recently reported in the Kansas City Star that Enterprise Rent-A-Car company ordered a fleet of approximately 66,000 Chevy Impalas without side impact airbags, for vehicles manufactured between 2006 and 2008.  Despite the fact that these important life saving devices come as standard equipment, the rental car company special ordered the vehicles without the airbags.  Even more appalling is that after renting the vehicles to unsuspecting consumers, they then sold the vehicles through their website, but failed to tell buyers that the safety equipment was missing.  This decision reportedly saved Enterprise approximately $11.5 million dollars.

Research through the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and many other independent organizations unequivocally shows that side impact airbags are important tools for reducing the risk of serious injury, such as brain injury, and death.  As advocates for the prevention of unnecessary brain injuries in children and adults, we must hold corporations accountable for actions such as this.

Click here for more details:  http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1385463.html

A new study confirms what we already know – wearing a helmet reduces the chances of injury or death while riding a bicycle.  I have ridden a lot of miles this summer and it amazes me how often I see people who are either not wearing helmets or do not have them adjusted properly.  Wearing an ill-fitted helmet is almost as bad as no helmet at all, because if the rider goes down and the helmet slides off the head upon impact, injury still can occur.  As listed in the full article in the following link, to check for a proper-fitting helmet, people should do the following:

* Ensure there are two-finger widths between a person’s eyebrows and the helmet.

* Keep the straps flat against the face.

* Make sure the side straps meet just below the ear making a V-shape under the ear lobe.

* Fasten the chin strap snugly so there is enough room to fit one finger between the strap and a person’s chin.

* Use the sizing pads provided with the helmet to adjust the fit.

To see the full article, click on the following link:    http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1694142

A new study shows promise for brain injury victims.  Researchers at Clemson University have experimented with a new injectable biomaterial gel, which can lead to the new formation of brain neural stem cells and a potentially a higher degree of functional recovery for the victim.  In addition, this is one of the few areas in brain injury research that tries to structurally repair the brain lesion using a tissue engineering approach.   Apparently, testing may start in humans in as soon as three years.  To view the full article, please click on the following link:  http://www.healthjockey.com/2009/09/08/can-brain-tissue-be-regenerated-in-traumatic-brain-injury/

In one of the most interesting studies I have ever seen come across my desk, it appears that doctors at UNC are using a capsule that monitors body temperature and other functions in order to track the possible relation between heat and concussion.  Apparently the brain may be more vulnerable to concussion when core temperatures are elevated.  The study involves football players taking the capsule 5 hours before practice, which then lodges in the intestine and tracks various readings that trainers and physicians can use test the temperature-concussion link.  For the link to this fascinating article, please click on the following:  http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-08/unc-football-team-pops-temp-taking-pills-help-establish-heat-concussion-link

I wrote an entry for this blog several weeks ago that weighed in on the issue of whether female high school lacrosse players should be required to wear helmets.  I gave the opinion that allowing girls, or any athlete, to play lacrosse without a helmet would be asinine, given the high risk of brain injury to players should they suffer a blow to the head from a lacrosse stick or other mechanism.  Apparently someone else agrees with me, namely a former lacrosse official who wrote an editorial on the topic and shared my viewpoint.  For the article, please click on the following link:  http://www.newstimes.com/ci_12984232