Will a Helmet Protect Me While Skiing?
Of course. In most cases
, a helmet saves lives. It helps protect your head from a traumatic brain injury while driving a motorcycle, riding a bike, or while snowboarding or skiing.
However, despite wearing a helmet, Olympic Skier Sarah Burke, 29, died January 19 after a crash while training for the 2012 Winter Olympics.
Her helmet did not protect her from the freak landing of this halfpipe accident. The fall caused “irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest,” putting her in a coma for nine days before she died.
The sport’s leaders say the sport is safe. Skiers wear mandatory helmets and air bags are used on the sides of pipes during practice. Everything was done that day to make Burke’s practice safe of injuries.
Burke’s death was a rare occurrence. It certainly draws attention to what every person needs to know when participating in winter sports. Whether for work or play, wear a helmet and do not perform risky moves. A bump to the head can result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which may not be easy to detect immediately. The pain is not immediate and is not recognizable as many injuries; TBIs can take days, even weeks to detect. If you are a sports enthusiasts heading to the slopes, remember to always include a helmet as part of your ski wear.
Do you or a loved one suffer a serious injury in an accident in Kansas or Missouri? Contact experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys James Roswold and Heather Lottman. With over 15 years of experience in Kansas and Missouri Injury Accidents, Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys may be able to help you determine the best way to proceed with your personal injury claim. Call our firm today to schedule an appointment to discuss the details of your case.
Former NFL Player Blames Concussions for Memory Loss
Former NFL player Benjamin Utecht, 30, career ended too soon after suffering multiple concussions.
He suffered at least five concussions during his football career: two during college at the University of Minnesota, two with the Indianapolis Colts and one with the Cincinnati Bengals. The last one, during training camp in 2009, ended his NFL career.
Those concussions 
have caused him to now suffer from frightening gaps in his memory.
He attends meetings and never recalls receiving (and responding to) the cancellation notice eight hours before. He also doesn’t remember standing up in a close friend’s wedding even after looking at the photos.
He’s also worried about how the concussions will affect him as he gets older. Will he experience early-onset dementia? Or will he suffer more issues with amnesia, headaches or behavioral changes?
Research shows that after you’ve had three concussions, your chances of more concussions goes up exponentially. He thinks that he may have retired sooner if he knew that then.
“A concussion doesn’t heal like a shoulder or knee injury. This is your personality. It’s your character. It’s your soul,” Utecht said. It changes you forever.
If your or a loved one has suffered a concussion in Kansas or Missouri, your family may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Contact the experienced Kansas and Missouri Personal Injury Lawyers at Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys. Call our office today to set up your free consultation or download our free resource guide 10 Essential Steps You Must Take to Protect Your Injury Claim.
How Can I Prevent a Head Injury While Skiing?
If you are traveling to Colorado from Kansas City or Missouri to go skiing in the Rocky Mountains over winter or spring break, you might want to consider buying a helmet.
Everyone in your family should wear one.
It may not be the “cool” thing to do, but it could be the key to preventing a head injury on the slopes.
Nearly 20% of common injuries are head related injuries. And the leading cause of death on the slopes is traumatic brain injury, according to an Idaho Ski Patrol.
To help prevent injuries or death, wear a helmet.
The helmet needs to be specific to your sport. If you’re skiing, get a ski helmet. If you’re snowboarding, you need a helmet made for snowboarding. And they make snowmobiling helmets too.
Prevent a brain trauma from happening while you're skiing - wear a helmet.
You can’t wear a skiing helmet while you snowmobile or a snowboarding helmet for skiing.
Most importantly, the helmet should fit properly. It should be nice and snug. Buying a helmet for your child in hopes that it will last two years will not work. And lead by example. Parents should also be wearing a helmet to protect their heads too.
If you or a loved one has suffered a sports related head trauma or eye injury, the attorneys at Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys may be able to help. If you need more information you can go to the
practice area, call 816-471-5111, or the “Just Ask” section of the website.
Research Shows Probiotics Help Traumatic Brain Injury Patients
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. The symptoms of TBI can be mild, moderate or severe depending on the extent of the damage. But, even symptoms of mild TBI can interfere with daily life and a victim’s ability to earn a living.
Researchers in China have determined that adding probiotics to a patient’s feeding tube may improve outcomes of their traumatic brain injury.
The leader of the study, Professor Jing-Ci Zhu, is from the Third Military Medical University School of Nursing. He and colleagues at the North Sichuan Medical College and Hospital in China said traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of a patient’s ability to fight infection.
The small scale trial had 52 patients who had suffered traumatic brain injury. They were being treated in the intensive care unit and those that received probiotics as part of their treatment had a reduced number of infections and spent less time in intensive care than those who did not receive the probiotics.
Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be beneficial to the host organism and are found in yogurt and supplements.
The symptoms of traumatic brain injury may be mild, moderate or severe. They include the following:
- Headache
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Lethargy
- Ringing in the Ears
- Blurred Vision
- Lightheadedness
- Fatigue
- Mood Changes
- Memory Loss
- Trouble with Concentration
- Behavioral Changes
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Weakness
- Numbness
- Dilated Pupils
- Loss of Coordination
If someone you love has sustained a TBI in an accident, or from someone else’s negligence, in Kansas or Missouri, you may be eligible to file a personal injury case. You may be able to recover damages for medical costs, therapy, on-going care, pain and suffering, loss of earning potential and loss of quality of life. Contact the Kansas City personal injury attorneys at the Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to schedule a free consultation and to talk to a lawyer about your individual case.
New Treatments for Aphasia Could be Breakthrough for TBI Victims in Kansas City
There have been many breakthroughs in the world of neuroscience. However, the development of a new speech therapy plan could be a monumental development in the war against traumatic brain injuries and neurological diseases like aphasia.
People who suffer from Aphasia could be able to look forward to new treatments that help recover cognitve functions.
Aphasia is a disease that affects the cognitive functions of the brain including speech and mental processing of information. It is most commonly caused by traumatic brain injuries, brain disease and strokes and is the result of a lack or complete stoppage of oxygen flow to the brain. There are two common types of aphasia. One is receptive aphasia which makes it difficult for the victim to understand incoming information. The other is expressive aphasia which makes it difficult for a victims to communicate either verbally or through writing.
Recent studies being conducted by Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services and the Dept. of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama could change everything for brain injury victims who suffer from aphasia. The treatment is called Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy and requires patients to exercise for eight hours a day for two weeks. These treatment also require a great deal of forced verbal communication.
Studies are showing that the brain can literally rewire itself and in effect bypass damaged brain cells. This is an amazing breakthrough for neuroscience and will impact the way victims of traumatic brain injuries and aphasia are treated.
As experienced Kansas City Brain Injury Attorneys, we know that no head injury should ever be taken lightly. Even the slightest head bump can lead to long term brain damage that can weaken the brain and make it vulnerable to serious brain illness and disease. It’s always better to have your head checked out and find there is nothing wrong than to put off the doctor and find later, your brain has developed an irreversible disease.
If you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury and suffer from aphasia as the result of an accident that happened in Kansas or Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Don’t delay, call Kansas and Missouri Personal Injury Lawyers James Roswold and Heather Lottman. With over 15 years of experience in Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Accidents, including Traumatic Brain Injuries and cases of Aphasia, we may be able to assist you and your family through this difficult time.
Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys today to set up a free consultation to discuss your personal injury claim. You can get started today by downloading our free book, “10 Essential Steps to Protecting Your Personal Injury Claim“. We want you to know your rights.
Kansas and Missouri Football Players Can Take Advantage of New Protective Helmet from Riddell
A proposed helmet from Riddell is equipped with sensors that can transmit real time data about the affect of a head collision.
Now that the NFL has wrapped up its season, it is only a matter of months before spring drills start in order to get players of all ages ready for next season. One subject that is sure to be a debate until then is how to protect players from Pee Wee leagues to the NFL from football related head injuries.
The concern right now isn’t only from head on direct collisions but the little hits. The routine contact from play to play that can over a long period of time cause significant damage to the brain and lead to serious brain illnesses. One way to protect may be by constantly developing new helmets to provide protection. Athletic supplier Riddell has created a “smart helmet” that could help protect a players during these types of contact hits.
These new helmets use a technology similar to car crash test dummies and is known as the Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS). It uses sensors that can monitor and determine what part of the brain is affected and length of impact and transmit the data real-time to the side lines. The helmet is similar to another system known as the MindScope System is being developed by the University of Villanova.
As experienced Brain and Spinal Injury Lawyers, we work tirelessly to protect victims of traumatic brain injuries after accidents. Child athletes are especially vulnerable to long term brain damage after severe head injuries and concussions because their brains are still developing. Make sure your child is properly equipped with proper fitting helmets and pads before they take the field.
Teach your child athlete the importance of communication in the event of an injury and to report dizziness and headaches immediately as they are early signs of concussion and early treatment is important.
If you or someone you love has suffered a serious head or brain injury in an accident in Kansas or Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Don’t take on the insurance companies alone, call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney James Roswold first. With over 15 years of experience in Brain and Spinal Injuries including sports related head injury cases, we may be able to help your family through this difficult time.
Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to set up a free consultation to discuss your personal injury claim.
Kansas City Doctor Working with Younger Athletes to Prevent Fatal Traumatic Brain Injury
Football players know there is a risk of injury when they step on the field. But how many of them know the real dangers they face when they strap on that helmet? Of course the common mindset is that players wear a helmet to protect their head from injuries. Right. Helmets do protect to a certain degree but injuries, including football related traumatic brain injuries continue to happen at an alarming rate. To make matters worse, most players don’t take nearly enough time off after the initial injury to properly and fully recover.
One of the deadliest threats to football players is something known as “second impact syndrome”. This can happen when a player suffers a second head injury before the symptoms and side affects of a previous injury have gone away. Teenagers are most vulnerable to these secondary injuries because their brains are not fully developed. One man who is working to help young athletes through these injuries is Joseph Waeckerle, an expert in sports related concussions, who spent twenty years as a team doctor with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dr. Joseph Waeckerle photo by Sabrina Staires
Dr. Waeckerle now works the sidelines for the Rockhurst High School football team. He was with the Chiefs a few years back when quarterback Trent Green suffered a season ending head injury and tries to use what he learned from his days in the NFL to help the younger kids now. He knows full well how important it is to build a strong relationship with the players and establish a trust. It may be the only way to get players to be honest about the the severity of their injury.
“It may happen at Rockhurst no matter what I do,” he says. “That’s just a fact of life. But I tell you what, we’re going to bust our tail — and we have busted our tail — to make sure we can do everything we can do to prevent any bad outcomes. But there are always going to be bad outcomes because we’re all human beings. We just want to minimize them.”
Most players won’t be upfront about dizziness or headaches if they know there is a possibility they could lose playing time or be forced to quit the game altogether. After years in the NFL, helping professional athletes and now a volunteer for the Rockhurst football team, Dr. Waeckerle just wants to share his knowledge. In fact, Waeckerley and a prominent local neurosurgeon are in the early states of opening a regional concussion center right here in Kansas City. It would be similar to facilities at the University of Washington and the University of Pittsburgh where patients have access to professionals in the fields of neuroradiology, neuropsychology, ophthalmology, etc.
As Kansas City Brain Injury Lawyers, we encourage parents of student athletes in Kansas and Missouri to pay close attention to their child’s behavior after their games. Even the slightest bumps and knocks can cause even minor brain shifts that can lead to permanent brain damage even fatal brain illnesses and disease that won’t be detectable right away, more likely not for months even years down the road. We’d like to thank Dr. Waeckerle for his contribution to protecting the young athletes in Kansas City and hope his dedication inspires future generations to do what is right when faced with head injuries.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious or traumatic brain injury as the direct result of an accident that happened in Kansas or Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. If this sounds familiar, you need someone in your corner you can trust. Don’t delay, call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney James Roswold. With over 15 years of experience in Brain and Spinal Injuries and Child Injury cases, we may be able to assist you and your family through this difficult and often stressful time.
Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys today to set up a free consultation to discuss your personal injury claim.
Studies Show Football Players May Be Prone to Brain Damage Even Without Suffering a Concussion
Football can be a dangerous sport as any high contact sport can be. On any given play, a player can blow a knee or break a bone or dislocate a shoulder. Head injuries remain the most dangerous injuries however and new studies are showing that players may be able to sustain long term brain damage even if they have never suffered a severe head injury or concussion.
What is known about the causes of brain damage in relation to head trauma in a contact sport like football is relatively new and seems to be changing every day. A lot of this research is being done at Boston University, the University of North Carolina, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of South Florida. At USF this fall, there was a interactive study conducted with seven local high school football players, which used special sensors within the player’s helmets to determine the severity of hits to the player’s head and the effects they are having on the brain.
Blows to the Head May Contribute to ALS and Other Brain Disease
It’s not just the big hits that are being studied, but the small sub-concussive hits as well. Research is beginning to reveal that the brain may be affected negatively on every single little hit that is sustained.
While there is obviously a major concern on how these hits are affecting younger players because the brain is still in development, the fear is that the true damage may not even be able to be detectable for years down the road. Former NFL Hall of Famer Mike Webster, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers before finishing his career right here in Kansas City with the Chiefs, died ten years ago from a heart attack. His autopsy showed early onset of dementia in his brain, something that is becoming increasing common among football players after years of taking blow after blow to the head.
For years the prevailing thought was that the human head was able to withstand so many hits before there became a fear of damage to the brain, but more and more it seems that every little hit, even small ones are leading to long lasting and permanent brain damage. For more information on the subject, check out our informative library article, “Tips for Kansas City Parents: Diagnosing Early Warning Signs of Concussion in Your Child“.
The real problem may be the game of football itself and its place in society. Football has always been popular and one of the reasons is the violence. The NFL sells DVDs of the biggest bone crushing hits. Players often refer to themselves as Gladiators. Players say they get into the game knowing the damage that can come from it, but are they really thinking about the long term brain damage, dementia and possible brain diseases that often come with participation? Can anything be done about it?
Our experienced Kansas and Missouri Brain Injury Lawyers know full well the dangers that a contact sport like football represents. If you have a child who has suffered a head injury, please, have it checked out by a doctor or neurologist. Even the slightest head injury can lead to long term brain damage. We encourage you to take every head injury very seriously. There’s no such thing as a typical head injury. Every brain reacts differently to the slightest bumps and dings.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious head injury or TBI in an accident in Kansas or Missouri, you may be able to compensation for your losses. Call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys James Roswold and Heather Lottman. With over 15 years of experience in Brain and Spinal Injury including Traumatic Brain Injury and sports related injuries, we may be able to help you and your family through this difficult and stressful time.
Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to set up your free consultation to discuss your case.