The danger of repeat concussions — traumatic brain injury

The brain is an important organ in the human body. An injury involving the brain can greatly affect a person. Symptoms of a brain injury may appear instantly following an accident in some cases. In other cases, the symptoms are delayed. It all depends on the condition of the patient. Head injuries can lead to a coma, permanent disability and amnesia. Brain injury patients may need long-term care and a series of therapies and rehabilitation, which can give a person back a normal life.

New Haven readers often hear or read about brain injuries in the news in tackle football and other sporting activities like wrestling and soccer. The reason behind this is that brain injuries occur more often in contact sports. In 2010, Connecticut passed a bill that requires student athletes who have sustained concussions to provide a medical release before going back to practice and training.

According to the president of the Brain Injury Association of America, one concussion will usually not instantly kill a person. The danger lies in repeat concussions, where the first concussion was not healed completely. This can lead to brain swelling and permanent damage, which can result in a fatality.

Experts say that high school athletes are aware of the risks; however, some of them choose to remain silent and act strong as if nothing has happened following a helmet-to-helmet hit. Parents and students need to be educated about the risks in order to treat concussions early on. For students, it is best to speak up before it is too late.

People who are not aware that they have suffered concussion and later got involved in an accident are at risk of sustaining a serious form of brain injury. A person with a brain injury that was the result of a car accident, motor vehicle accident, trucking accident, birth injury, hospital error, emergency room malpractice, construction accident or slip-and-fall accident may be able to obtain compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.

A brain injury victim should be careful about accepting compensation from the responsible party as the negligent person may provide less compensation than what the victim is entitled to.

Source: News Times, “Trending: how Fairfield County schools tackle concussions,” Oct. 2, 2013