Whether your child is involved in a recreational activity such as hockey, football, soccer, lacrosse, or any other sport, we encourage you to educate yourself and take steps to protect them.

Children’s injuries in school sports and recreational activities are common. Serious injuries often involve head trauma. Children may suffer head injuries in activities ranging from collisions during contact sports to falls from a swing or a slide.

Children who engage in sports or other physical activities should wear proper head protection. However, even with the proper head protection , a person can still suffer a concussion.

In essence, the helmet protects the skull but the brain floating inside the skull may still be traumatized by sudden extreme movement.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons advises that all athletes or participants, no matter what their age or skill level, wear a helmet when there is potential for a head injury, including:

• Football

• Hockey

• Baseball

• Skateboarding

• Skiing

• Snowboarding

• Bicycling

• Roller skating

• Ice skating

If you suspect your child has suffered a head trauma, take the injury seriously and seek immediate medical attention. It is easy to underestimate the serious nature of a concussion particularly when the child does not lose consciousness or “looks fine”. Of course, multiple concussions can have long-term effects.

In general terms, a concussion occurs when a person is hit in the head with such force that the brain moves inside the skull. Believe it or not, this is a “brain injury”. Symptoms include:

• Headache

• Dizziness and Blurred Vision

• Nausea and Vomiting

• Disorientation/Inability to Communicate

• Memory Loss

• Difficulty sleeping or concentrating

• Psychological symptoms include:

• Mood swings

• Depression

• Changes in personality

If your child suffers a concussion, call a pediatrician, go to MASH, Immediate Care, or an emergency room. Your child may be limited from participating in activities for a limited amount of time, or until a doctor allows your child to return to the activity.

Recent advances in medical technology allow for sophisticated studies of the brain to show what happens when an athlete is struck in the head. One recommendation is to participate in concussion testing before the sports season begins to obtain a “baseline measurement”. Some organizations offer “concussion testing” even before the season begins and before you have suffered a concussion. This helps to objectively measure any changes after the trauma occurs.

Many factors contribute to a head injury while engaged in active physical play, including a lack of adequate supervision, defective safety equipment, improperly maintained swings or slides, and other forms of negligence.

These injuries may be the result of substandard equipment, the failure of a school or organization to adequately supervise a recreational activity, or some other negligence. We represent many children in cases like these. Whether your child is involved in a recreational activity such as hockey, football, soccer, lacrosse, or any other sport, we encourage you to educate yourself and take steps to protect them.

If your child suffers a head injury, such as a concussion, contact Personal Injury Attorney Craig Z. Small of the Small Law Firm. Small Law Firm will investigate the situation and help, if possible.

No matter where you are located throughout the State of New York and Western New York, we are available to answer your questions. Call us for a Free Consultation at 716-847-2600 or visit us online at www.craigsmallny.com.

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