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According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), nearly 4 million concussions annually result from athletic activities.

In a recent study which was presented at the AAN (American Academy of Neurology) Annual Meeting in April, it was reported that the football helmets which are currently used on football fields provide protection from linear impacts, or those leading to bruising and skull fracture, but do very little to protect against the hits to the side of the head, or the rotational force, which is an often dangerous source of brain injury including concussion and encephalopathy. 

Encephalopathy, according to WebMD, is a term that means brain disease, damage, or malfunction.  It can present a very broad spectrum of symptoms ranging from mild, such as some memory loss or subtle personality changes, to severe such as dementia, seizures, coma or even death.  Generally, encephalopathy manifests itself by an altered mental state which is sometimes accompanied by physical manifestations such as poor coordination of limb movements.

The problem with current helmets, according to AAN, is the current helmet standards, both for children and adults and for all sports which totally ignore rotational acceleration. As a 2013 paper by Virginia Tech researchers put it, “There currently is no federal or industry head injury safety standard that considers rotational acceleration, even though there is strong evidence linking it to injury.”

The National Institute of Medicine and Research Council and the National Academy of Science reports that a high school football player was nearly twice as likely to suffer a brain injury than a college football player. As high schools lack the standards provided to college and pro players, most high schools do not have the right equipment or qualified training.

WISHTV-8  in Indiana reported in May that in 40 years, the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) has made few changed to the standards and certification of football helmets.  They further reported that at a NOCSAE meeting, they acknowledged that 95% of youth helmets were too heavy for children. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the signs and symptoms of a concussion may include the following:

• Headache or a feeling of pressure in the head
• Temporary loss of consciousness
• Confusion or feeling as if in a fog
• Amnesia surrounding the traumatic event
• Dizziness or "seeing stars"
• Ringing in the ears
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Slurred speech
• Delayed response to questions
• Fatigue

Fort Myers Brain Injury Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.