Eight Ivy League schools have ruled to ban all full-contact hitting from practice sessions during the regular season. This would be an update to rules already banning tackling during spring and pre-season practices.
Ivy Leagues Ban Tackling During Practice
The move set forth by the Ivy’s (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale) might impact how other football programs, including youth to the professional levels, address the physical toll that football is increasingly proven to take.
Research done over the past few years has shown that limiting the amount of full-contact that is made during practices can reduce the number of concussions. In 2011, the N.F.L. put limits on the number of full-contact practices. Since then, the N.F.L. has seen declines in concussions during practices in the preseason as well as regular season.
The research“all shows that you not only have fewer subconcussive hits, but also concussions,” said Dr. Robert Cantu, the co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at the Boston University School of Medicine. “It’s not rocket science.”
“We’re not trying to change the nature of the game, we’re just trying to make it safer,” said Robin Harris, executive director of the Ivy League.
TBIs, More Information, and Football
Over the past few years, traumatic brain injuries have gained a lot of attention in the media due to the fact that more and more information is becoming more widely available. One of the main reasons TBIs have become so widely discussed is because of the amount of football players that are coming forward with TBIs, and issues related to TBIs.
TBIs in football players have been linked to high levels of depression, suicide, and violent behavior. But it’s not just football players, who take numerous hits to the head, that are victims of TBI. Across the nation, an estimated 1.7 million people sustain TBIs annually. Of that number: 52,000 die, 275,000 are hospitalized, and 1.365 million are treated and released from emergency rooms.
Traumatic brain injury is brain dysfunction caused by an external force, such as a violent blow or jolt to the head or body during an accident, or an object penetrating the skull.
There are various levels of traumatic brain injuries, but all of them should be taken seriously, as even TBIs termed “mild” can have serious consequences.
Mild traumatic brain injury, such as a slight or mild concussion can cause temporary dysfunction of brain cells. More serious traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, torn tissues, bleeding, and other physical damage to the brain. This can result in long-term complications and even death.
The effects of a TBI are not just limited to physical, but also psychological effects. And though some signs or symptoms appear immediately, some only appear days or weeks later. In cases like this, because the incident has occurred so long ago, you might not even realize that you are dealing with a symptom of a TBI.
Brain Injury Lawsuit
There are many steps to bringing a brain injury lawsuit, and you’ll want to work with an attorney such as the attorneys at Phoenix Personal Injury Attorney if you decide that you would like to pursue a brain injury lawsuit.
Brain injuries can be caused by anything - from being on the football field to car accidents, to bus accident, to faulty products. Below we outline some of these common accidents that are also common personal injury accidents that would warrant a lawsuit.
Automobile Accidents
Compensation for TBI
If you or a loved one has suffered a head injury, including a concussion or other form of brain damage or spinal cord injury - you may be entitled to compensation under the law.
Negligence
Most lawsuits that are brought for brain injuries are based on the legal theory of negligence. When claiming negligence, the person bringing the lawsuit (a plaintiff) must prove that the defendant (person they are suing) is legally responsible for the injury that has been sustained. This means proving that the defendant is “at fault” for the injury.
The following must be proven to win a negligence lawsuit:
- The law required that the defendant be reasonably careful and that the defendant owed the person bringing the lawsuit a “duty of care.”
- The defendant failed to act with reasonable care toward the plaintiff.
- The defendant’s action (or possible inaction) caused the plaintiff’s injuries.
- The plaintiff suffered injuries and/or losses that can be measured under the law (financial, physical).
Working with a personal injury attorney is the best way to be able to prove the above and win your negligence case. An experienced attorney will ask you questions about the specifics of your brain injury - how it occurred, what you remember about the accident, what you were doing when it happened, and the type of medical treatment you have received as a result of it.
You’ll want to provide as much information as possible. This includes any witnesses that might have seen the accident, accident reports, and medical documentation.
It’s also important to note that many brain injuries often take time to emerge. While an injured party might not be aware that their brain has been injured in an accident, they often show signs months and years later. These delayed injuries are often seen as changes in concentration, memory, emotion, and behavior.
Because of this, it’s always advised that you work with a lawyer following any serious accident.
Reasons for Working with a Personal Injury Attorney
Working with a Personal Injury Attorney After an Accident
If you or a loved one have been an victim of a personal injury accident, you should immediately contact a personal injury attorney that understands the specific laws around these types of accidents. They will be able to perform a full investigation and build your case. It’s crucial that you work with someone that knows the intricacies of the laws surrounding these types of cases as well as your specific state’s laws. The attorneys at Personal Injury Attorneys PLLC have experience handling personal injury cases such as elevator accidents, automobile accidents, and slip and fall accidents. They will help build a case to ensure you receive everything you need to recover from your specific accident.
