Preventing Brain Injury in Sport

PREVENTING BRAIN INJURY IN SPORTS AND RECREATION

The trial lawyers at Casper & de Toledo (www.casperdetoledo.com) have made a special effort not only to become highly skilled in representing clients who have suffered brain injury through the negligence of others in car crashes, fall downs and other fault based casualty situations, but also our lawyers are very concerned with injury prevention.

While he was President of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, partner Stewart Casper developed a program for CTLA that involved the donation by trial lawyers of bicycle helmets throughout the state of Connecticut. That program was used as a model for similar programs around the country.

Casper & de Toledo has also advocated added caution in the area of high school sports noting that many young people are exposed to brain concussion playing football, soccer, lacrosse and other sports. A concussion is a brain injury and it can cause the same cascade of unfortunate consequences that can result from a motor vehicle crash or a fall. There are specific guidelines applicable to health care providers, coaches, faculty and administrators of school systems when an athlete has been injured. Sitting out one or more games or matches is a far better alternative than experiencing a lifetime of cognitive impairment resulting from a second concussion.

The Center for Disease Control has recently released a package of information made available for coaches, parents and athletes so everyone can learn more about the problem of sports related head injury. You can find this information at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/coaches_tool_kit.htm