It’s Just a Concussion
Last year, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a concussion and there was speculation that he might miss the next game as a result. Some of his teammates weighed in. Wide receiver Hines Ward was quick to dismiss the injury: “Well, it’s just a concussion. I’ve played with concussions before.”
Ward’s opinion is an uninformed one. A concussion is a brain injury. Concussions can result in chronic headaches, vision problems, dizziness, cognitive impairments, depression and personality change. For some people, a single concussion can result in life-long impairments. Multiple concussions increase the risk of life-long impairments.
One of hockey’s brightest stars, Sidney Crosby, has missed almost a year because of concussions. Crosby’s loss is bad for hockey. However, it has resulted in considerable positive media coverage on the devastating long-term impact of concussions.
Fortunately, athletes and coaches are becoming more educated about concussions. Misinformed views like those expressed by Hines Ward are becoming less and less prevalent.
As personal injury lawyers we see the impact of concussions on people’s lives. People who suffer concussions in car crashes often struggle with serious physical, cognitive and emotional impairments. Very often, these people cannot return to their jobs and require significant rehabilitation and care.
About the Authors
Troy Lehman joined Oatley Vigmond in 2006 and became a partner in 2010. As a personal injury lawyer, his greatest satisfaction comes from helping people through to the other side of a difficult time in their lives. “We’re here to help and relieve stress,” Troy says. “When I walk into a first meeting with a client, people are often scared and anxious. And for me, the best thing that can happen at the end of the meeting is that they say, ‘I feel so much better.’