Recently The Chicago Tribune ran a front-page story about how a suburban tackle football team had disbanded due to enough parents concerned about concussion risk that they did not have enough players to form teams. What do you do if you have a child who got a concussion while playing on an athletic team? Who may be liable?
Under Illinois law, the school or private athletic club is rarely liable due to parents signing permission forms that clearly indicate you are assuming the risks of athletic competition. Only in rare cases of willful or illegal misconduct, would a coach be held liable. For example, a cheerleading coach was caught on video forcing a student not prepared to do so into splits using other team members to hold her, forcefully despite her crying and begging him to stop. In certain cases, a person or player could be held liable, but these variables are on a case by case basis.
If you or a loved one have suffered a brain injury due to another’s negligence then contact a brain injury lawyer Chicago IL respects to help you with you your case. Brain injuries are among the most insidious injuries that a person can experience; often, they look perfectly fine, but their healthy appearance hides a debilitating injury. To prove such a case requires resources and expertise, which we can provide. It is estimated about 1.4 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year. Traumatic brain injury specifically refers to a jolt or blow to the head that causes a loss of consciousness. Due to this injury, the function of the brain can be severely disrupted.
Brain injuries can range from a mild concussion to extremely severe conditions of coma or even death. Head trauma is something to be concerned about because it is the largest single cause of disability. It is estimated that currently, about 5.3 million Americans live with different disabilities resulting from a TBI. The leading causes behind brain injuries include birth injuries, vehicle accidents, and crashes, slip and falls, and medical malpractice.
Here are a few symptoms of head injury:
- Mental confusion, difficulty learning new information, or loss of memory
- Anxiety or depression. Tendency to irritability or aggression.
- Headaches, sensitivity to sounds/lights
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Change in sleep patterns
- Seizures- mild ones may look like frequent daydreaming. Severe ones have convulsions or tremors
- Slurred speech.
Difficulty with reading, typing, handwriting, or loss of prior skills a skilled attorney can competently handle brain injury cases. If you or your loved one has suffered a brain injury due to the negligent or willful act of another person you should consult a brain injury lawyer. As part of a free initial consultation, we will evaluate your case and let you know your options to obtain compensation and justice. Do not trust your case to an amateur or a firm that will treat you as nothing more than a number.
Brain injuries can be life-altering, especially when they are severe. The expenses in such injuries are extremely costly, and explaining their severity to a jury can be extremely difficult, especially when the injured party appears healthy. Our attorneys understand the criticality of these injuries and the challenges associated with demonstrating them to a jury. The trauma and stress after a brain injury is life-altering, and therefore the person who caused it must compensate the victim fully. People suffering from any kind of brain injury often have to pay extremely high medical bills for specialty care. Another important aspect of brain injury is that people may lose their ability to function well, and sometimes their ability to work altogether. With this type of case, you want a skilled attorney at your side.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from The Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian for their insight into liability after a concussion.
