By Emily Mapp Brannon, Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

New legislation to protect student athletes from the dangers of concussions is being implemented across the United States, with Wisconsin (WI) being the latest state to consider a bill.

Medical experts, concussion survivors and the head of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association are among those supporting a law that would develop guidelines on the risk of head injuries and provide new rules for young athletes who are hurt on the field of play, JSOnline reported.

The bill “would require new guidelines to educate coaches, athletes and their parents about the risk of concussion and head injury in youth athletic activities. Experts say the number of traumatic brain injuries among young people is on the rise,” JSOnline reported.

The new legislation would also require a young athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury to be removed immediately from the game. The athlete could not return to the field until he or she is looked at by a health care provider trained to evaluate concussion or head other injuries. The athlete should also have permission to return to the game.

Our experienced Virginia (VA) traumatic brain injury attorneys have reported on moves by a number of states to bring in legislation to protect athletes from concussion. Virginia brought in the Student-Athlete Protection Act in January 2011.

There are good reasons for these rules. Recently we reported on how a 17-year-old student athlete from Virginia (VA) committed suicide two days after he suffered a blow to the head during a football game.

High schools and youth sports leagues in North Carolina (NC) and South Carolina (SC) also recently implemented new rules intended to prevent head-to-head contact, returning too early from concussions, and limiting injuries from balls, bats and other equipment.

Our firm obtained the largest personal injury verdict in Virginia history as of 2000 – $46 million – in the case of a gas station attendant who suffered a brain injury and other injuries when he was trapped inside a partly demolished gas station when a Norfolk Southern train derailed following an incorrect switch position.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By John Cooper, Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

A simple blood test may be able to determine whether athletes or soldiers who have suffered impact or concussive (i.e., shockwave) blows to the head haved developed a concussion, which is medically defined a a mild traumatic brain injury.  Working with federal funding, researchers with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio (OH), have begun a study in which they draw blood from football players immediately postgame to check for high levels of a protein called S100B. Blood concentrations of the protein increase when a concussion occurs.

Experts say the blood test for S100B, combined with other brain-health indicators, could help doctors track the long-term, health impacts of sports and help diagnose traumatic brain injury.

See this video about concussions:

The experienced brain injury attorneys with our Virginia (VA)-based law firm welcome any new test to diagnose head injuries from concussions suffered in sports. Recently, we reported on a college bound student wo committed suicide two days after suffering a concussion during a high school football game. Many other serious physical and mental health problems have been linked to concussions.

When coaches, parents, doctors and even injured people themselves fail to take head and brain injuries suffered while playing sports or doing any other activity seriously enough, liability for lawsuits may exist.

We recently reported that a lawsuit seeking $35 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages has now been filed in Norfolk, VA Circuit Court by the wife of a former police recruit who died during training after receiving numerous blows to his head.

To learn more about what you or a loved one can recover from a wrongful death and brain injury claim, check out our videos on the subject.
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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Rick Shapiro, Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

My colleague John Cooper has posted a new blog to our law firm’s Carolina personal injury layers’ website about a teenager who sustained a serious head injury when he fell off the roof of a moving car. The 17-year-old appears to have been involved in the dangerous game of “car surfing,” leading to his injury in a school parking lot in Gastonia, North Carolina (NC).

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Kevin Duffan, VA Brain Injury Lawyer

My colleague John Cooper reported recently on our law firm’s Norfolk Injuryboard blog site about the suicide of a Virginia high school student after a football concussion and the awareness brought to the lasting effects of sports-related brain injuries by lawsuits brought by former players against the National Football League.  To learn more about what to you or a loved one can recover from a wrongful death and brain injury claim, check out our videos on the subject.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Rick Shapiro, Virginia Tramatic Brain Injury Lawyer

The death of a 17-year-old college-bound student from Virginia (VA) two days after he suffered a concussion has renewed concerns about the links between traumatic brain injuries and suicide.

Austin Trenum of Nokesville, VA, had planned to enroll in James Madison University. Those plans became irrelevant, though, when he sustained a concussion in his final high school football game and, two days later, hanged himself. The Associated Press reported that Trenum’s parents are convinced a concussion that wasn’t taken seriously enough led to their son’s death and are donating his brain for research.

The death raises new questions about concussion awareness in sport, an issue our experienced Virginia TBI lawyers have written about in-depth. It is also the latest in a spate of suicides that have followed concussions in sport. Last year an autopsy on 21-year-old Owen Thomas, a captain of the University of Pennsylvania football team who committed suicide, revealed brain damage.

“We know that a concussion can be followed with depression,” Dr. Robert Cantu, clinical professor of neurosurgery and co-director of Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy told  the AP. “And depression can be serious enough that hospitalization is required in a small number of cases.”

BU researchers found that the college football player, Thomas, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE is also called dementia pugilistica because it’s associated with career boxers who have suffered repeated blows to the head. Earlier this year we reported on how CTE was diagnosed  in NFL football star Dave Duerson, who also took his life.

As awareness increases into the potentially fatal effects of concussions, schools and health care providers have to recognize the warning signs. In the case of Austin Trenum, staff at a hospital told his parents to “make sure their son had 24 hours of restful activity,” AP reported.

His parents later learned he should have had no stimulation at all. Failure to take these concussion related injuries seriously could leave hospitals and schools open to lawsuits. Earlier this year I reported on a $2.5 million lawsuit brought by a camper at a Virginia Tech basketball camp in Blacksburg, VA, who claimed inadequate facilities and supervision contributed to a severe head injury.

High schools and youth sports leagues in North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), and Virginia recently brought in new rules intended to prevent head-to-head contact, returning too early from concussions, and limiting injuries from balls, bats and other equipment.

Other agencies, such as police departments, need to be aware of the dangers of head injuries. Recently we reported on how a lawsuit seeking $35 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages has been filed by the wife of a former Norfolk, VA, police recruit who died in training. The lawsuit alleges his death was the result of “repeated, violent blows to the head” by instructors that produced bleeding in the brain.

Our Virginia head and brain injury lawyers have handled many TBI cases including a 2001 case in which we secured $365,000 for a CSX locomotive engineer who suffered mild traumatic brain injury after he was hit on the head by a valve in an explosion.

Our firm obtained the largest personal injury verdict in Virginia history as of 2000 – $46 million – in the case of a gas station attendant who suffered a brain injury and other injuries when he was pinned inside a partly demolished gas station when a Norfolk Southern train derailed due to an incorrect switch position.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

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By John Cooper, Personal Injury Attorney in Virginia

My colleague Randy Appleton has written about a hit-and-run accident that occurred in North Lebanon Township, Pennsylvania (PA), and injured a teenager. The at-fault driver remains at large. Will the victim be able to pursue damages if the at-fault driver is never apprehended? Find out by reading this story: “Teenager Injured in Hit-and-Run Accident.”

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Randy Appleton, Carolina Brain Injury Attorney

Most head-on collisions occur on two-lane highways with no divider in the middle. That’s the setting of a recent crash in North Carolina that landed  six in the hospital. To learn more, visit our blog to read “Six Injured in Head-On Collision.”

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Rick Shapiro, Virginia Brain Injury Attorney

A bike rider in Arlington, Virginia (VA), was hit by a car and suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result. This bike rider did everything right. He had a greenlight and was within a crosswalk. He even had a helmet on. Unfortunately,  following all the rules wasn’t enough to prevent a careless driver from turning right on red while looking left on a street featuring two signs that clearly prohibit right turns on red.

This terrible accident highlights just how under the radar a brain injury can be. When the bike rider was initially treated at the hospital, no one noticed brain damage and he was released free and clear. But as time went on, the victim noticed problems with memory, cognitive function, and frequent headaches. His co-workers started to notice and even had to assist him in ways they never had before the bike accident.

Six weeks went by before the victim was finally diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. The victim had to go on disability from his job since the demands of his position were simply too much given his brain damage.

The victim wisely sought legal counsel and a personal injury claim was filed on his behalf. The defendant tried to argue that the victim did not actually suffer a brain injury since he continued to work and receive a salary. This was not a strong argument and, during mediation, a $3 million settlement was reached. Congratulations to the victim’s attorneys — Robert Hall, Steven Frei, and Peter Everett — for achieving this settlement.

Our firm fully appreciates the challenges associated with traumatic brain injury claims. For example, we represented an injured gas station store worker who suffered a brain injury after a Norfolk Southern train derailed and crashed into his store. It took a while, but we were able to secure a $46 million jury verdict (raised to $60 million with interest), which is the largest traumatic brain injury verdict in Virginia history.

To learn more about traumatic brain injuries, take a look at this article written by a Virginia brain injury lawyer.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

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By Kevin Duffan, Virginia Truck Accident Injury Victim’s Lawyer

My colleague Emily Brannon has reported on our Virginia injury law firm’s website that a triathlete is training to get his body back to where it was before he was hit by a truck while riding a bike.  Emily, a Virginia personal injury attorney knowledgeable on trucking accidents and bike safety, provide tips on how to stay safe.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Jim Lewis, North Carolina Car Accident Injury Victim’s Attorney

My colleague Emily Mapp Brannon has written about a single-vehicle accident that occurred in Greensboro, NC, in which the victim was a passenger left in critical condition and the at-fault driver was the passenger’s friend. This raises the question of what should a passenger when hurt in a car crash caused by a friend. Find out the answer by reading this blog: “Passenger Injured in Greensboro, NC Car Wreck.”

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.