Improperly Treated Concussion Leads to Permanent Injuries April 3, 2010.

A football player filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against his coach. The boy had sustained a concussion that turned into permanent injuries.

Sports can be dangerous for a lot of reasons, and playing football perhaps best showcases the dangers of sustaining serious concussions. In this case that I read, a football player filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the team’s doctor for mistreating his concussions of two years ago.

The injured football player, who was a leading kicker in 2008, attests he received several blows to his head over the course of several games. Raymore, whose name has been changed to protect the identity of the victim, stated that the team doctor didn’t handle his series of concussions in a proper manner.

The team doctor indicates that his records show that Raymore was told repeatedly to not play or practice until his symptoms (dizziness and headache) went away. The usual standard of care for injuries of this nature is to ban physical activity until any and all symptoms subside, as returning to playing or training too soon will only cause much greater damage. Raymore insists the doctor only treated him for a headache and sent him back on the field without properly evaluating him.

As you can tell by the details involved in this case, it will be a contentious one. Medical malpractice is not easy to prove and in many instances, an expert witness or two is needed to give testimony about the alleged incident and the doctor’s handling of it. It should also be kept in mind that not "all" bad medical experiences classify as medical malpractice.

Just as an example, Muhammad Ali sustained many concussions over the course of his boxing career and while his diagnosis was not TBI, he does have Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is a disease that plagues individuals who have been subjected to severe head trauma, such as boxers and others who participate in high risk, high contact sports – like football. So, it may be that Raymore has Parkinson’s as a result of continuing to play without totally recovering from his string of concussions.

To be frank, the details that I read about do have some indications that there may have been a problem of some sort here. What that is or was will be at the heart of the case. Unfortunately, we don’t know what the permanent damage Raymore sustained is exactly. If the case is dealing with a traumatic brain injury, there is the potential for significant damages to be awarded to compensate Raymore for a life-altering condition, for which he will need permanent care.

If you have been in a situation like this, it would be a good idea to speak to a Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer and find out exactly what your rights are and whether or not you have a viable case.