Maryland Accident Law Blog
Earlier this month in Wisconsin, the mother of a 25-year-old man who took his own life back in 2012 filed a lawsuit against a youth football league, alleging that the brain damage her son sustained while playing for the league led to myriad mental health conditions and ultimately to his death. According to one local news source, the young man played for a Pop Warner football league from 1997 to 2000.
Evidently, the young man sustained a number of head injuries and concussions during his tenure in the league. Towards the end of his life, the young man suffered from depression and dementia. The man’s mother, who is seeking $5 million in compensatory damages for the loss of her son, claims that the league was negligent in several ways, including:
- Failing to properly train coaches in injury prevention and concussion treatment; and
- Failing to educate players and parents about possible long-term brain damage that could result from playing football; and
- Failing to institute proper concussion management or return-to-play rules for players suspected of having concussions.
After his death, the man’s family found out that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease of the brain that is only diagnosable after a patient has died. CTE can be caused by repeated injuries to the head and can lead to a host of mental health issues, including dementia and depression.
CTE in the News
The NFL is currently facing a lawsuit that makes similar claims against it for failing to take the proper precautions as it pertains to concussion management. Indeed, that lawsuit consists of nearly 5,000 former NFL players, both living and deceased, who claim that the injuries they sustained while playing for the NFL have had lasting consequences, the possibility of which was not disclosed when they signed up.
In addition to the league’s failure to notify players of the potential risks, that lawsuit also alleges that the league failed to take appropriate educational and preventative measures until it was too late. As a result, the lawsuit claims, thousands of players suffer from mental illness, the symptoms of which range in severity but generally include dementia, depression, anxiety, and Parkinson’s-like symptoms. There is also a link between suicidality and CTE.
Have You Suffered Permanent Injury Due to Repeated Head Injuries?
If you or a loved one has developed any of the symptoms of CTE or another brain injury and you believe that it may be in response to participation in either a job, high-contact sport, or other activity, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. The lawsuits like the one mentioned above and the one against the NFL are paving the way for other victims of CTE and related illnesses. To learn more about these lawsuits, and to speak to an attorney about your situation, contact one of the dedicated attorneys at the Maryland personal injury law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers at 410-654-3600. The skilled advocates at Lebowitz & Mzhen have decades of combined experience holding negligent parties responsible for the injuries they have caused. Call today to set up a free consultation.
More Blog Posts:
Maryland Appellate Court Considers the Cap on Judgments Against Municipalities, Maryland Accident Law Blog, January 16, 2015.
Change of Venue Ordered in Medical Malpractice Case; Impartial Jury Concerns Cited, Maryland Accident Law Blog, December 1, 2014.