Football Injuries and Wrongful Death among Children

Our children thrive on socializing, staying active and having fun. When you combine all three it can create pure joy not only for them, but also for us as parents. One example in obtaining all three is to have your child join an extra-curricular activity. The most popular extracurricular activity for boys, especially in the south, is football. Football brings out the tough, hard-working, nail-biting intensity in all of us---whether we play or not. However, in recent news we have seen how dangerous and life-altering a single play can be on the football field.

While we hope the socializing, sweat and comradery are worth it—some parents are beginning to steer their child in a different direction just for safety purposes. The number of serious injuries and deaths are alarming among those of high school football players.

In September, 2015 alone, five football players have died. Last week, a Georgia teen from Burke County collapsed shortly after football practice from a heart related condition. Although the number of deaths fluctuates year to year, the sport has seen more and more life changing events than ever before.

According to a survey performed by National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, five high school football players died in 2014 due to head and spinal injuries. Six more players died of incidental causes: Three were heart-related, one was from heat stroke and two were hypernatremia and water intoxication, the survey found. Between 2005 and 2014, the deaths of 92 other high school football players were indirectly related to the sport, according to the NCCSIR survey.

So what are parents left to do when it comes to prevention?

Do we even allow our children to play?

Well, the study further found a lack of trainers for high school football. A recent study in 2007 found that a high school football player is three times more likely to endure a catastrophic injury like death, paralysis, neck fractures, head injuries and permanent disabilities than a college football player.

Why?

The American Journal for Sports Medicine stated that 70% of high school students with concussions continue to play through the injury and ignore the symptoms. Even more frightening is that 40% of coaches don’t even know an injury happened. Furthermore, the lack of trainers at both practices and games only forces these numbers to rise and further damage to be done to the health of the athlete. In this particular case, the number of personal injury and death cannot be ignored. Too many young athletes and their families have been negatively affected by a single hit.

At our law office, we have helped families deal with these types of injuries and losses. We are here to help you and your family members deal with these types of tragic events in the most sincere and empathetic way. Please contact us at 877-884-8579 for further information on personal injury and wrongful death.