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Some Texas spinal cord injuries occur during sporting events

On Behalf of | Jul 7, 2015 | Spinal Cord Injuries |

In Texas and throughout the United States, sports fans everywhere enjoy filling the stands to root for their favorite teams. For parents, sporting events can turn to tragedy when young athletes suffer spinal cord injuries or other debilitating harm. A recent article discussed some new procedures that athletic trainers across the nation will soon implement when a player gets hurt.

Statistics show that there are as many as 1,100 spinal injuries during sporting and recreational activities each year in the United States. A new protocol has been issued by the National Athletic Trainers Association that includes several changes in the way serious injuries are addressed on the field. One significant change involves the pads worn by football players.

Prior to the newly issued protocol, athletic trainers had been instructed to leave a player’s pads on the body when a suspected spinal injury had occurred. The new procedure calls for the pads to be removed by those trained to do so while a player is still at the scene of the injury. It is suggested that at least three trained personnel members work together to remove the pads from the injured player.

Even though new changes are being implemented in order to better treat athletes who suffer spinal cord injuries, Texas parents who experience such tragedies might find themselves in need of legal advice when it is determined that some sort of negligence led to their children’s injuries. Under such circumstances, the parent or legal guardian of a minor aged child athlete can file a personal injury claim in a civil court on behalf of the injured child. Serious injuries often necessitate long-term care and, as a result, parents can face unexpected financial hardships that compensation from a successfully litigated case could help alleviate.

Source: CBS St. Louis, “Athletic Trainers Association Releases New Spinal Cord Injury Protocol”, Brian Kelly, June 24, 2015

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