Stricter Concussion Guidelines for Athletes and What These Mean for You and Your Attorney

A recent Wall Street Journal article (3/19/13) reported that the American Academy of Neurology has provided stricter guidelines to deal with concussions in sports.  If a concussion is suspected athletes should be taken immediately off the playing field and kept out of play until the symptoms have ceased and an exam by a medical expert has taken place.

These new guidelines confirm what many of us who represent trauma victims already know to be true:  many concussions and head injuries go unreported as a result of trauma from automobile collisions, falls, sporting events and other accidents.  Personal injury lawyers frequently are the first to hear a person’s report of headaches, dizziness or fogginess after the trauma.  At Polito & Harrington, we often find ourselves encouraging our clients to seek prompt treatment if a concussion is suspected.  Many folks simply assume that a nagging headache will go away – however, as in the case of a recent encounter in our office, that persistent dull ache could be a sign that a bleed or other insult is taking place within the skull.

Concussions can also have a cumulative impact – as many competitive athletes come to learn.  Attorneys representing injured parties need to delve into a client’s medical history – often through family members – to find out if prior head injuries have ever occurred in order to properly and fairly understand the impact a new injury may have.

For text of the full article, visit:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323415304578368261015364472

Bert Polito, Esq.

A version of this article appeared March 19, 2013, on page D1 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Tougher Rules Advised for Athletes After Concussion.