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May 31, 2011

New Legislation to Prevent Youth Sports-Related Brain Injury

Our Chicago injury lawyers know that as summer begins, so do youth sports such as football, soccer, and basketball. An emerging health issue in youth sports is the need for precautions to prevent brain injury. According to the Center for Injury Research and Policy, an estimated 300,000 sports-related brain injuries occur every year in the United States. Chicago brain injury lawyers frequently settle and bring to trial brain injury lawsuits. For youths between 15 and 24 years old, sports injuries are the second most common traumatic brain injury. The study found that concussions represented ten percent of all high school athletic injuries and over 5 percent of all college athletic injuries. Concussions, in particular, can cause long-term health issues or even death. Concussions occur when a blow or motion to the head or body causes the brain to rapidly move within the skull. According to the Herald-News, new Illinois legislation hopes to help prevent long-term damage from youth sports related concussions.

The Illinois General Assembly recently approved House Bill 200, which takes the decision of how to treat concussions out of the hands of the coaches, players, parents, or anyone else who would encourage the youth to play despite injury. After a concussion, House Bill 200 requires that a licensed medical professional’s approval is obtained before the child can return to the game or practice. The bill also mandates the Illinois High School Association to develop guidelines to educate coaches, parents, and the student athletes on head injuries. According to the Chicagobears.com website, even the Chicago Bears are enthusiastic about the legislation. House Bill 200 is currently awaiting gubernatorial approval.

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Posted In: Brain injuries in sports

May 24, 2011

Chicago Brain Injuries May Increase Due to Trampoline Parks

Many community members are aware that backyard trampolines have been particularly popular over the past several years. Starting in the 1990s, many families began getting these pieces of exercise and recreational equipment, often for their children to enjoy. Lately locations similar to amusement parks have begun sprouting up based on entire rooms filled with trampolines. These “trampoline parks” first gained popularity on the West Coast and are now scattered in a few areas in the Midwest, including Chicagoland. These parks are often in warehouses and include trampolines scattered in a checkerboard fashion across the facility.

A recent report in the Chicago Tribune about these trampoline parks explained the growing popularity of these locations as well as concerns being raised about their safety. Some safety advocates are arguing that these parks pose an unacceptable risk of participants suffering a Chicago brain injury. A Carol Stream based trampoline park has had an ambulance called 16 times since the facility opened in November. One of those victims was a 13-year old girl who fell on her head, reported tingling in her arms, had difficulty breathing, and was eventually discovered to have fractured her neck.

In the last two decades at least 11 people have been killed in trampoline accidents. But a staggering 100,000 trampoline injuries are reported each year nationwide. In fact, Central DuPage Hospital has already reported that they have seen a noticeable increase in traumatic injuries since the nearby park opened, including broken legs, arms, and a head injury.

Currently, Illinois state agencies do not regulate these parks as they do other amusement parks. The Department of Labor explains that only facilities that have moving apparatus are under the regulatory guidelines of the state. In their stead the regulation of these spaces is often done by local governments which frequently have little oversight of the process.

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Posted In: Traumatic Brain Injury

May 12, 2011

Drug May Be Responsible For Causing Serious Brain Infection

Fox Business News reported late last month on troubling news about the effects of a multiple sclerosis drug on patient brains. Our Chicago brain injury lawyers always attempt to share information about risks for these injuries, because we are well aware of the tremendous toll that brain trauma has on a patient.

The latest news comes from the Food and Drug Administration which has identified about 100 patients who have taken a drug known as Tysabri to treat multiple sclerosis and have subsequently developed a rare brain infection. The infection, known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), involves the slow build up of white matter in the brain. It can develop in several places at once.

PML is a very serious infection. Those who identify the problem early enough can begin taking strong antiretroviral medications to treat the infection. However, the average patient with PML still passes away around 2 years after diagnosis.

Researchers have noted that the risk of developing PML is greatly increased once a patients has at least twenty four total Tysabri infusions to treat their MS. It is important for all patients to discuss these risks with their medical professional before agreeing to undergo any course of treatment. It is also imperative that the manufacturers of these drugs closely follow research patterns to discover the actually strength of association between the deadly brain infection and this pharmaceutical product.

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Posted In: Brain Injury Lawsuits

May 4, 2011

New Medical Advances Could Better Detect Chicago Brain Injuries

After working with enough clients, Illinois brain injury lawyers are aware that it remains difficult for many forms of brain injuries, especially concussions, to be properly detected. More and more people are learning of the immense harm that these problems can have, but few easy ways remain to determine when someone has suffered a concussion.

The main challenge is that the symptoms of this injury are also caused by other problems. When someone suffers from dizziness, lack of focus, and nausea—the common indicators of concussion—there is no clear way to prove that the brain injury is the actual reason for the symptoms. In fact, some of the milder forms of concussion cannot be found even with brain-image testing. Yet, even mild brain problems can have troubling effects on the patient, so a need for better diagnostic tools is strong.

According to the Seattle Times, that better test may finally have arrived. Known as a “blast badge,” University of Pennsylvania doctors and engineers have developed a wearable object which measures the intensity of an explosion in a spectrum on which the wearer has been exposed. These are small objects that can be attached to those most likely to suffer concussions, like on the helmets and uniforms of athletes.

The scientists involved are now working to connect the specific color changes on the “badge” to correspond to the potential harm that shock had on the wearer’s brain. This shock badge will then better allow medical professionals to understand what sort of treatment might be necessary.

Another potential diagnostic tool involves simultaneously testing the cognitive and motor skills of someone who may have suffered a concussion. Scientists believe that they may be able to identify difference in performances between healthy individuals and those who have suffered a brain injury.

Still other researchers are developing a medical compound that may reverse memory and movement loss if given to sufferer of all types of brain trauma.

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Posted In: Concussions

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The purpose of this blog is to deliver news and information that is relevant to our areas of practice. The news and information reported on this blog represent the legal actions of attorneys throughout the United States. Our firm does not claim to represent plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits, settlements, and jury verdicts reported, only those noted as Levin & Perconti cases.

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