Is your child an active soccer player? Do you worry that he or she might suffer long-term damage as a result of injuries sustained while playing the pften-physical sport? You might have reason to be concerned. A recent study found that Los Angeles soccer players of all ages are at risk for traumatic brain injuries. Furthermore, there were, according to this study, structural differences consistent with concussions and traumatic brain injuries between the brains of soccer players who had frequently headed the ball and those that did not. It also appears that soccer players who continuously head the ball have trouble performing simple cognitive functions. What’s more, a study performed on the brains of professional German soccer players found that there were changes in the areas of the brain responsible for memory, visual processing and attention.
While football has recently been in the news for the harm it can cause adults old and young, these facts indicate that football players are not the only athletes that are affected by traumatic brain injuries and concussions. Soccer is a physically demand sport and clearly carries some risk of brain damage; particularly when heading the ball. If done too many times, head butting can carry the risk of brain injury and the resulting mental health problems down the road. If you believe your child is suffering the side effects of a physical sport like soccer or football, contact an experienced sports injury lawyer in Los Angeles to discuss your rights.
Aside from banning the sport, there seems to be no apparent solution to this problem. In instances where helmets have been introduced for children’s soccer, the American Youth Soccer Organization reported that they made little difference. In fact, an AYSO spokesperson stated that children felt more protected with the helmets and thus played even harder. A traumatic brain injury lawyer emphasizes exercising extreme caution while playing soccer and testing your child for any potential symptoms of traumatic brain injury.
If your child is suffering the short term and/or long term side effects associated with traumatic brain injuries from sports, you need to speak with an aggressive brain injury lawyer in Los Angeles. You might be able to recover financial damages for your child, money that could help pay for physical and emotional therapy down the road.
To discuss your child’s legal rights and for more information on how to recover compensatory damages for an injury you or a loved one has suffered as a result of a sport, contact BIK Law today.