Football Concussion Lawsuits Start To Hit High Schools

HughPickens.com writes Michael Tarm reports that a former high school quarterback has filed a lawsuit against the Illinois High School Association saying it didn't do enough to protect him from concussions when he played and still doesn't do enough to protect current players. This is the first instance in which legal action has been taken for former high school players as a whole against a group responsible for prep sports in a state. Such litigation could snowball, as similar suits targeting associations in other states are planned. "In Illinois high school football, responsibility — and, ultimately, fault — for the historically poor management of concussions begins with the IHSA," the lawsuit states. It calls high school concussions "an epidemic" and says the "most important battle being waged on high school football fields ... is the battle for the health and lives of" young players. The lawsuit calls on the Bloomington-based IHSA to tighten its head-injury protocols. It doesn't seek damages. "This is not a threat or attack on football," says attorney Joseph Siprut, who reached a $75 million settlement in a similar lawsuit against the NCAA in 2011. "Football is in danger in Illinois and other states — especially at the high school level — because of how dangerous it is. If football does not change internally, it will die. The talent well will dry up as parents keep kids out of the sport— and that's how a sport dies." Previous research has shown that far from innocuous, invisible injuries, concussions confer tremendous brain damage. Individuals with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) may show symptoms of dementia, such as memory loss, aggression, confusion and depression, which generally appear years or many decades after the trauma. "The idea that you can whack your head hundreds of times in your life and knock yourself out and get up and be fine is gone," says Chris Nowinski. "We know we can't do that anymore. This causes long-term damage."

Comments

Public healthcare and balanced risk.

[Anonymous Coward]

1. Fully socialised healthcare and comprehensive welfare state like all the most advanced countries in the world do it, then there'd be no need to have this sort of inefficient, risk-avoisive bullshit just because people fear being fucked for life over a moderate injury;

2. Acknowledgment then that lottery-win money is a ridiculous way to compensate anyone for an injury sustained while doing something risky. It fucks things over for everyone.

Re:Public healthcare and balanced risk.

[sound vision]

Having been in jail (and not just for a night or two), I can confirm the health care system is crap. If you have some sort of a health issue while being taken in, you get to spend an additional 24 hours in a holding cell waiting to talk to a nurse. That's on top of the 12+ hours the normal booking process takes from arrest to getting your cell. During the day-long wait, guards occasionally pop in asking if anyone inside is ready to waive their nurse consultation yet. Then when you get to talk with the nurse, it's pretty apparent she doesn't know what she's doing. During our talk I mentioned I had previously taken antidepressants, which I had stopped two months ago. So, she thought it would be a good idea to prescribe them again. Seemingly, she didn't seem to grasp that I was no longer taking them. She also didn't grasp that they take anywhere from 2-6 weeks to take effect, and my sentence was ten days. Not that I received 10 days of medication anyway, even after the consultation it was 3 days or so before they were able to stock it.

The room and board kinda sucks too.

Helmets with Sensors

[Danathar]

I know it's being tried at some colleges and high schools, but it would not surprise me if mandatory sensors that communicate to central monitoring station at games and practices are required in the future.

I'd imagine that a threshold of G's and number of times during play time or practice will require the player to sit out for a period of time or for the game/practice.

Only a matter of time.

Re:Bad Helmet Design

[TheSync]

Why does the helmet only have padding on the inside?

Most football concussions now come from "rotational acceleration", the twisting of the brain inside the skull. It is much harder for a helmet to protect against there than "linear acceleration" forces, the helmet has to literally slide around the head.