A concern for Texas residents who have children who play tackle football is the prevalence of traumatic brain injury. Those who played at various levels and are no longer playing also need to be cognizant of the problem, including those who played as kids, in high school, in college and even professionally. Research is ongoing to gauge the extent of the possible damage. It is imperative that those who might have been injured playing football without knowing the risks have a grasp on the possibility of a legal filing to be compensated.
A study by the American Academy of Neurology has shown that greater than 40 percent of men who played in the National Football League and are retired have shown signs of having traumatic brain injury through various tests. Several other studies have yielded similar results, with the PBS program “Frontline” devoting a program to degeneration of the brain from repeated head trauma in football players. That research showed that nearly all former NFL players who had an autopsy to determine the presence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) were found to have had it. In total, 79 percent of players from all levels were found to have had CTE.
This latest study is considered to be one of the most comprehensive and is the first one to indicate how significant the numbers are when it comes to brain damage after playing football. Although there is a greater emphasis on safety and making certain players have been adequately checked for symptoms of a brain injury before going back on the field, this is an ongoing problem due to the contact-based nature of the sport.
With a traumatic brain injury, the person suffering from it could be confronted with the need to have therapy, require long-term care or suffer from a permanent disability. With a contact sport like football, it does not necessarily have to be a person who played at the highest levels to suffer an injury to the brain. For a person who believes he or she or a family member has been harmed in this way from football, it is important to speak to a legal professional experienced in pursuing compensation for cases related to brain damage.
Source: Washington Post, “40 percent of former NFL players suffer from brain injuries, new study shows,” Travis M. Andrews, April 12, 2016
