A link has been recently discovered by researchers from both Britain’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and University College, London regarding traumatic brain injury and contact sports. Of the many sports, soccer was the most recent sport added to the list of many possibilities.
With a link between football and TBI already established, there were many headlines beginning to pop up regarding suicide among former players. After many autopsies were performed, it was discovered that many of them had sustained Traumatic Brain Injury. Besides Football, many other sports have the potential to cause TBI. These include baseball, hockey, boxing, lacrosse, skiing, skateboarding, horseback racing, and extreme sports.
Because of these sports, there is a much higher risk of the participants sustaining a tremendous amount of damage caused by being hit in the head repeatedly. According to Brooks Schuelke, a lawyer specializing in TBI stated that “Soccer players are at high risk during times when they hit the ball with their heads during a game. They also incur many head collisions as well as head collisions by ground contact. These collisions can also create concussions repeatedly.”
During a more recent study, researchers found that out of 14 brains studied, 4 showed a significant amount of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This is believed to be caused by a repetition in head injuries. Although this research does not draw any conclusive findings, the numbers are still staggering and cause for further research. This could also be a determining factor in justifying how dangerous soccer can really be.
Being a very complex injury, traumatic brain injury displays many symptoms. Possible disabilities include cognitive, emotional, and physical conditions. In the long run, these disabilities can have a traumatic impact on the person’s family too. Schuelke also added that “The recent discovery goes hand-in-hand with the many lawsuits that have been settled between the NFL and former football players who had been diagnosed with TBI. Because of these new findings, soccer “heading” is being looked at as becoming banned for all soccer players who are 10-years-old and younger.
If you suspect either yourself or a loved one to have sustained a traumatic brain injury by being hit in the head repeatedly, it is in your best interest to contact an attorney who specializes in brain injury.
