ice hockey

Former NHL Players File Concussion Lawsuit

The National Hockey League (NHL) is the latest defendant named in a string of high-profile class actions lawsuits regarding concussion injuries. As CBS Sports reports, 10 former professional hockey players filed a lawsuit in Washington D.C. on November 25, claiming that the NHL was negligent in protecting players from concussion injuries over the years.

The lawsuit seeks money damages to be determined at trial, as well as court-approved medical monitoring for plaintiffs’ brain trauma and/or injuries.

According to Reuters, the former hockey players accuse the NHL of refusing to ban fighting as team rosters often include “enforcers” whose main purpose is to fight, of purposefully concealing the risks of brain injuries, and of exposing players to unnecessary and avoidable dangers.

This latest concussion-related lawsuit comes just three months after the National Football League (NFL) agreed to pay $765 million to resolve claims made by thousands of former players who have developed dementia or other concussion-related medical problems. The NCAA is also facing a number of similar lawsuits regarding its role in the perpetuation of concussion-related medical problems of former collegiate athletes.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and head injuries like concussions can be life-altering, causing serious physical, cognitive, emotional, and social injuries. In fact, concussions have been linked to a number of lifelong medical problems, such as depression, fatigue, sleep problems, and an increased risk for stroke. Athletes are particularly susceptible to repeat head injuries. In fact, an athlete who suffers a concussion is up to four times more likely to sustain a second concussion, according to neurologists.  When an athlete returns to play before a full recovery from the initial concussion, the athlete is at serious risk for secondary impact syndrome (SIS), which can place the athlete at an increased risk for learning difficulties and other neuropsychological difficulties.

Professional athletes aren’t the only ones at risk of concussion-related medical problems. In fact, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal, a new report warns that students who return to athletic play before their brains are fully healed from a concussion run the risk of a second brain injury with potentially “more severe consequences.”  The report showed that concussion rates are higher among high-school athletes than college athletes, and are the highest for football and ice hockey, with lacrosse, wrestling, and soccer also among the most dangerous sports for concussions. Moreover, a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that sports-related concussions are a commonly underreported injury that require both physical and mental rest.

At Cogan & Power, P.C., our Chicago head injury attorneys are dedicated to protecting the victims of personal injury accidents, including those that result in traumatic brain injuries like concussions. We have the experience and skill to get you the compensation that you need and deserve, including compensation for past and future medical bills, lost income, disability, future care, loss of normal life, and pain and suffering.

Contact the Chicago head injury lawyers at Cogan & Power, P.C. to learn more about the concussion-related lawsuits.

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