Youth sports instill the valuable lessons of teamwork and sportsmanship and serve an important part of child development for many youngsters in Alabama. But a young athlete can sustain a serious injury, including a traumatic head injury, while playing sports if the child does not take proper safety precautions and wear protective gear appropriate to the sport.
The traumatic brain injury attorneys at Belt, Bruner & Barnett law want to educate parents about sports-related injuries and raise awareness about how to prevent head injuries caused by sports.
More than 2.6 million children are treated in emergency rooms for sports-related injuries each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each sport has its own particular risks, but many sports-related injuries are avoidable.
We want youngsters to obtain the physical, mental and social benefits of playing sports while avoiding injuries. We know parents want information to help their youngsters take part in sports and remain healthy.
Information about Common Injuries in Popular Sports
Here are some surprising facts about youth injuries in popular sports Did you know:
- Two third of catastrophic injuries involving female athletes are cheerleading related.
- The highest rate of injury among softball players are children ages 13 to 16 years old, and the number of girl athletes injured in softball exceeds the boy athletes.
- More than 15 percent of youth football players who sustain concussions severe enough to cause a loss of consciousness return to the field the same day.
- Youth soccer injuries are higher than injury rates in other contact sports, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Types of Sports Injuries
Among the common sports injuries are ACL injury, ligament and tendon injuries, muscle tears and strains, dehydration, and how they are treated. The most common injuries in youth sports include:
- Sprains and strains
- Fractures
- Cuts and abrasions
- Concussions
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury and can be caused by a blow or jolt to the head during a game or practice. Children who participate in contact sports such as football, baseball, soccer, and wrestling are at greater risk of concussions. In fact, an emergency room treats a child for a sports-related concussion approximately every three minutes.
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury and can be caused by a blow or jolt to the head during a game or practice.
It is important for parents of young athletes to be able to recognize the signs of a concussion so they can seek immediate medical treatment. Symptoms of a concussion include:
- headaches that get worse
- confusion
- one pupil larger than the other
- slurred speech
- vomiting and nausea
- loss of consciousness
Football season has started and young football players are at particular risk of concussion injuries and head injuries, even though they wear helmets. A player who sustains a possible concussion should be taken out of the game and not allowed to re-enter the game until evaluated and given a written clearance by a medical doctor. It’s crucial to have your young football player wear a proper fitting helmet.
Too many children suffer preventable injuries. Many injuries can be avoided when young athletes, parents, and coaches make sports safety a primary focus and ensure that players are wearing properly fitting safety gear.
Help for Families that Have Sustained a Youth Sports Injury
Young athletes sometimes sustain an injury as a result of the negligence of a school or coach. A school may allow hazardous conditions that lead to sports injuries by failing to maintain a sports complex or equipment adequately. A coach may fail to recognize the signs of a concussion and put a player back into a game, exposing them to greater injury.
The parents of a young athlete may be entitled to seek compensation after a serious youth sports injury. Holding accountable an at-fault school or coach can prevent other young people from suffering an injury. Let an injury attorney at Belt, Bruner & Barnett review the specifics of the accident and advise you. The Alabama serious injury lawyers at Belt, Bruner & Barnett help families who have been harmed as a result of the negligence of another. We do an independent investigation of what occurred and are ready to hold accountable those at fault.
Raising awareness of sports injuries is just one of the many ways that the attorneys at Belt, Bruner & Barnett work to make our Alabama communities healthier and safer places to live, work and raise families.
If your child is hurt, call us today at (205) 933-1500 or online to schedule a free consultation. With offices in Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville, and Montgomery, our attorneys will quickly travel anywhere in the state of Alabama to investigate your case.
