Despite advances in research and treatment, we still have yet to completely get a handle on brain injuries and how to handle them from a medical perspective. This is particularly true of athletes. Once upon a time, for example, someone who sustained a bad hit to the head in a football or baseball game might sit out for a few plays and then be sent back into the game.
These days, however, these sorts of injuries are handled for what they are: brain trauma. In many amateur and professional sports, players have to prove that they are fully recovered from a concussion or other brain injury in order to get back into the game. This can have the effect of sidelining a player for weeks or months, if not an entire season.
One family is now dealing with the death of their son after he collapsed at a college football practice and fell into a coma. The young man suffered a head injury in 2014 when he was playing high school football, and was hospitalized as a result. He had multiple tests performed and saw several neurosurgeons, who ultimately cleared him to play. When he was stricken recently, it was apparently not as a result of any contact.
This sort of case shows just how serious and lasting brain injuries can be. It’s not just football players who can suffer brain injuries, of course; someone in New Jersey who’s involved in a car accident could also suffer a brain injury and permanent disability. An experienced personal injury attorney could help someone in this situation.
Source: USA Today, “19-year-old Navy RB Will McKamey dies while in coma,” Gary Mihoces and Dave Owens, March 26, 2014