As Sacramento Personal injury lawyers, we’ve watched as head injuries as the result of high school and college sports have increasingly made headlines. The good news about this development is that finally public awareness about this serious risk to young athletes is rising in Sacramento. Personal injury attorneys once had to battle to get recognition that traumatic brain injury is, in fact, associated with some of the most popular youth and college sports in Sacramento. Head injury lawyers at Sette Law may now refer to many high profile cases of brain injury lawsuits that have brought financial assistance to victims as well as spurred changes in safety on athletic fields.
We now know that traumatic brain injury is the most frequent cause of death in sports-related injuries. Our Sacramento head injury attorneys say that, although this awareness is growing, some sports organizations have been slow to support injured athletes. Protection such as reducing physical contact in practices and regulating when an injured athlete can return to play are yet to be implemented by national organizations, leaving that responsibility to individual colleges including those in Sacramento. Head injury attorneys believe this policy creates an uneven patchwork of regulations. Our Sacramento injury attorneys hope that such reasonable protections will be implemented throughout the country and in Sacramento.
Head Injury Lawyers monitor Multiple Sports
Traumatic brain injury is not limited to football in Sacramento. Our personal injury lawyers also track sports such as soccer, ice hockey, wrestling and more. There is even an increase in brain injuries to cheerleaders! Sacramento head injury lawyers say that cheerleading has changed from shaking pom poms to highly athletic routines that involve gymnastics. Falls related to risky stunts have led to head injuries and concussions that account for approximately 20 percent of cheerleading injuries. At Sette Law, our Sacramento personal injury lawyers are also tracking the growing popularity of soccer for youngsters, adults and professional players in Sacramento. Head injury attorneys say that a McGill University study revealed that over 60 percent of college players showed symptoms of a concussion in a single season.
Head Injury Lawsuit Settlement is Insufficient
Sacramento injury attorneys believe brain injuries will continue to rise across the spectrum of sports so long as national governing organizations fail to step in with clear regulations to protect athletes. A settlement in a brain injury lawsuit recently announced by the NCAA only raises our concern for athletes in Sacramento. Personal injury lawyers applaud some elements of the class-action lawsuit settlement but point out there is no fund for damages suffered by athletes across America or in Sacramento. Instead, a personal injury lawyer must sue on behalf of individuals with serious brain trauma. In addition, colleges throughout the nation retain discretion in returning players to the game after they’ve experienced brain injury. Our Sacramento personal injury attorneys believe that significant changes are necessary to protect athletes from brain injury and, sadly, that change seems slow in coming.