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The recent injury involving Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham Hotspur highlights the need for the proper assessment of all those playing sport where it’s suspected they have sustained a head injury.

That applies particularly to those sports where head injuries are noted as a material risk. A key part of the process is to ensure that the correct protocols are in place to maximise the opportunity to diagnose the extent of the head injury and to take the appropriate steps to minimise the risk of both the short term and long-term effects.

All injuries to the head are, of course, of significant importance given the brain is neither capable of regeneration or, unlike many other parts of the body, cannot be treated with transplantation! Further, as is now widely known, however minor they may initially look, head injuries can lead to serious complications such as dementia, epilepsy, paralysis and, in the most severe cases, death.

Recognition of a head injury is, of course, relatively straightforward in cases where the victim has lost consciousness. However, the vast majority of head injuries are ones where there is no loss of consciousness but rather a transient loss of alertness and/or a brief period of post traumatic amnesia.

The starting point in treating head injuries in sport is to understand the effect of the different forces applied to the brain after the head is involved in a collision. Newton’s law of Force = Mass x Acceleration is of key importance. Applying this formula, it follows that an athlete can sustain far greater forces without brain injury if their neck muscles are tense and strong at the point of impact. In this state, the mass of the head is essentially equivalent to the mass of the body. In a situation where there is no tension of the neck muscles the mass of the head is only its own weight and therefore the same degree of force can impart a far greater acceleration leading to a significantly more serious injury. In rugby, the ‘big hit’ made on a player who is not expecting it illustrates the point.

The latest protocols put in place to deal with concussion injuries particularly in sports such as rugby and football are specifically designed to identify the extent of the injury sustained as early as possible. Concussion (derived from the Latin concussus) meaning “to shake violently” was initially thought to produce only a temporary disturbance of the brain function without any structural damage but we now know that any impact on the brain can lead to a loss of brain cells and an ability to process information which may lead to a loss of cognitive function either in the short term or indeed over the longer term. Recent studies conclude that the damaging effects of concussion are cumulative. In cases where the head is accelerated at force, the concussion can also produce a shearing injury to nerve fibres and neurons.

Given the clear advantages of diagnosing any head injury as quickly as possible, there clearly is an obligation on any team in charge of its players and indeed the governing body of the sport to ensure that the appropriate protocols are in place; those in charge of the game completely understand when such protocols should be used; and that all personnel are using them as quickly and correctly as possible. If initial damage has been done but such protocols are not followed, and it is proved that further damage is likely to have taken place due to the player continuing to play then there is every prospect that those managing the team or indeed the governing body will find themselves on the wrong side of a claim from the injured party.

Here at Calio Claims, we are fully aware of the obligations on teams and the governing body to ensure that all injured players are dealt with appropriately when sustaining a head injury. The diagnosis of the injury is clearly of critical importance. Unfortunately, not all those in charge of the welfare of players are aware of their responsibilities. If the protocols are not followed correctly then they can lead to a significant injury and loss and such losses can be long term.

If you have been the victim of a sporting injury and you believe that you may have a claim on the basis that appropriate treatment was not provided to you in the appropriate timescale then please complete our online enquiry form or call us on 0800 988 8082 and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

 

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