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Home > Personal Injury > Injuries / Diseases > Severe Injuries > Brain > Brain Injuries and High School Sports

Brain Injury Attorneys

in Denver and throughout Colorado and Wyoming

Brain Injuries and High School Sports

All high school sports carry a significant risk of injury, and even death. About 20% of high school athletes sustain brain injuries each season. Even so, the CDC does not recommend that teenagers stop participating, but rather that schools and coaches adopt safer practices, especially when it comes to preventing brain injury.

Click to view our video about "Life After Traumatic Brain Injury"

There are over 60,000 concussions caused by high school sports each year and over 60% of them are related to football. Concussions are often overlooked or ignored. A player who has suffered a concussion is at a substantially higher risk for suffering a second concussion before the first concussion is healed. This is called second impact syndrome. Second impact syndrome is far more dangerous than original brain injuries and can easily result in long-term damage or death.

Common causes of high school sports related brain injury include:

  • Disregarding warning signs of brain injury
  • Allowing a player to return to play after a brain injury, during the same game
  • Allowing a player to return to play too soon after a brain injury
  • Defective helmet

Players cannot be responsible for detecting their own injuries. It is the coach’s responsibility to recognize potential brain injuries and take the proper action including pulling the player from practice or the game and requiring confirmation of proper medical attention before allowing the player to return to play.

The CDC recommends that coaches look for the following warning signs:

Symptoms observed by coach:

  • Appears dazed or stunned
  • Is confused about assignment
  • Forgets plays
  • Is unsure of game, score, or opponent
  • Moves clumsily
  • Answers questions slowly
  • Loses consciousness
  • Shows behavior or personality changes
  • Can’t recall events prior to hit
  • Can’t recall events after hit

Symptoms reported by player:

  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Balance problems or dizziness
  • Double or fuzzy vision
  • Sensitivity to light or noise
  • Feeling sluggish
  • Feeling foggy or groggy
  • Concentration or memory problems
  • Confusion

TBI in adolescents
Brain injuries are difficult, even devastating, for people of any age, but they carry unique problems for teenagers. During adolescence areas the frontal lobes of the brain are in their final stages of development and neurological changes are occurring quickly.

This is the period during which we develop a sense of identity or sense of self. Brain injuries during this stage of development can lead to a radically altered sense of self and low self esteem. Brain injury during adolescence can also interfere with sexual maturation and lead to sexual dysfunction.

When young children sustain brain injuries they may experience delayed or interrupted education. Since teenagers are near the end of their school years, disruptions in education can mean dropping school altogether. For those who do not know they have a brain injury grades drop and by the time the cause is discovered it may be too late to bring grades back up and complete high school or move on to college.

In addition to cognitive difficulties, teenagers with brain injuries are prone to emotional and behavioral problems. It is not uncommon for teenagers with brain injuries to experience problems including:

  • Anger
  • Depression
  • Substance abuse
  • Violence
  • Legal problems
  • Suicide

Brain Injury Lawsuits stemming from high school sports injuries can be complex. There can be multiple responsible parties including, but not limited to:

  • Coaches
  • Schools
  • Property owners
  • Equipment manufacturers
  • Health care professionals

If your child goes to a public school you will be suing a government entity. Lawsuits involving government entities involve different procedures and time limits than typical lawsuits.

Frequently Asked Questions About Traumatic Brain Injury Lawsuits

Personal Injury: Traumatic Brain Injury

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

Long Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury

Types and Severity of Traumatic Brain Injuries

At Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C., our brain injury lawyers represent brain injury victims caused during high school sports in Colorado, Wyoming and nationwide. We have the resources and experience with complex brain injury lawsuits to fully assess your injuries and take your case to a jury. If you or your loved one has suffered a brain injury while playing high school sports, please email or call us today.

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Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C. is a law firm serving the Rocky Mountain Region. The firm has offices in Denver, Colorado, Cody, WY, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Phoenix, AZ. The Firm is responsible for the content on the website,this information is not to be interpreted as providing legal services, nor as proposing any form of legal advice.