Sports Injuries

Published on: May 3, 2016

Football Players at Risk for Traumatic Brain Injury

Football can be a dangerous sport, even for players who do not sustain serious injuries on the field. Recently, more research has come to light on the link between football and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a disease resulting from repeated injuries to the head—an experience common among football players.

Lawsuits against Football Leagues

A number of lawsuits have been brought against football leagues by former and current players. In general, the lawsuits concentrate on the allegation that the league was aware of the risks caused by head injuries and that the league hid the dangers or did not fully disclose them to players. The lawsuits also argue that the NFL failed to properly supervise, regulate, and monitor activities to minimize the risk of injury to players. Some players have also argued that the league pushed injured players back into the game.

Some players allege that they have suffered from numerous health issues as a result, including dementia, depression, and Alzheimer’s. Families have even brought claims on behalf of players who have committed suicide.

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Published on: March 21, 2016

Football Leagues May Be Held Liable for Players’ Head Injuries

By Moll Law Group

The National Football League (NFL) has recently faced a number of lawsuits based on players’ head injuries. Recently, other leagues have also begun seeing an upswell of lawsuits, mostly based on the league’s failure to warn its players of the potential risks of participation in the league. According to a recent news source, one youth football league recently settled a case in similar circumstances. The lawsuit was brought in a Wisconsin court by the mother of a man who had committed suicide subsequent to injuries he sustained after playing football. The mother alleged that her son’s suicide was the result of numerous head injuries he suffered as a child playing in a youth football league.

The mother alleged that her son, who was 25-years-old when he committed suicide, suffered brain damage after participating in the youth league for four years. He began participating in sports when he was 11. After the son’s death, an autopsy showed that he suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The lawsuit alleges that the disease caused severe emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and physical problems, and that it was a substantial factor in contributing to his suicide. The son had experienced numerous concussions while playing football, some of which occurred while he played for the youth league.

The suit alleges that the football league was aware that the risks to young children were greater than to older players, but failed to warn players of these risks. The lawsuit points out that the sport is more dangerous for children who play with football helmets because the helmet weight is very heavy for children’s necks and bodies. It states that the organization failed to warn children and parents of the risk of permanent brain damage. The complaint sought $5 million in damages, and a settlement was reached for an undisclosed amount.

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Published on: December 29, 2015

Serious, Irreversible Head Injuries Occurring in Contact Sports

By Moll Law Group

It isn’t surprising that when sports fans think of concussion-related injuries, they think of football. Football is a game of hard hits, and even with helmets, head injuries occur. During the course of a game, it is not uncommon to see a player carted off the field with a head injury.

The recent movie, Concussion, starring Will Smith, highlights the dangers of concussions in football. Sports fans may also link concussions with football because of a highly publicized class action lawsuit that former players filed against the National Football League (NFL) for brain-related injuries. A settlement in that case is on hold pending appeal.

Because of all the attention the NFL has received surrounding concussions, other sports, including hockey and soccer, have received far less fanfare despite the dangerous nature of their games. With soccer, it is understandable that the risk of brain injury is often overlooked, since the game is primarily played with the ball on the ground. But soccer is also a sport where players routinely head the ball after it has traveled high and far in the air, and mid-air head collisions can and do occur between players jostling for a head ball.

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