By Kevin Duffan, Virginia Brain Injury Attorney

A new study has revealed the dangers associated with heading balls on the soccer field. Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found that repeatedly hitting a soccer ball with one’s head increases the risk for brain injury and cognitive impairment.

The researchers studied 38 amateur soccer players who had played the sport since they were children. They were asked how many times they headed the ball in the past year. Then, the researchers ranked the players based on heading frequency and compared their brains images. What did they find? That frequent headers showed brain injury akin to that of patients with concussions.

Because soccer is such a popular sport, parents across the country need to consider this study before allowing their children to play. Some 18 million Americans play soccer, and 78 percent of them are children. This news could potential affect millions of young athletes across the country.

Brain injuries cannot be taken lightly. The researchers said many of the effects of heading injuries aren’t noticed by parents, or even doctors. Because the effects can be so long term, they are often misdiagnosed. “The impairment will not be immediate and can easily be attributed to other causes like ADHD or learning disabilities,” said Dr. Michael Lipton, associate director of Einsteins Gruss Magnetic Resonance Reseach Center.

The purpose of this article is not to create panic, or have parents pull their children out of youth soccer league, but parents should be informed about all of the risks associated with the sport. Heading the ball is an essential part of the game, and is unlikely to be eliminated despite safety concerns. The study shows even heading the ball once and a while  may cause long-term damage, especially at the higher levels where the ball is traveling up to speeds of 34 mph.

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury 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. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

By John Cooper, Virginia Brain Injury Victim’s Attorney

As a parent of high school and middle school athletes and a personal injury attorney in Virginia (VA) who has represented numerous clients who have had their lives shattered by head traumas, I was equally encouraged and concerned when I read that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had discovered a 60 percent increase of emergency room visits for concussions in children between 2001 and 2009.

According to the CDC, 248,418 children were treated at ERs for concussions — also known as mild traumatic brain injuries, or mTBIs — during 2009. That number was up from 153,375 in 2001. A majority of the concussions were caused by bicycle accidents, though football injuries constituted the main cause for teen boys and soccer was a primary concussion cause for teen girls.

It is good to see so many parents and coaches no longer treating head injuries as just a child or teenager getting his or her bell rung. As my law firm colleagues and I have stressed repeatedly, even a seemingly minor blow to the head can have negative, lifelong effects on memory, concentration, emotional control and overall health. Immediate, effective and follow-up care are essential to helping any person of any age recover from a concussion.

I do remain concerned, though, because of the shockingly large numbers of youngsters — CDC considers the ages from birth to 19 years childhood and adolescence — who sustain mTBIs each year. Worse,  an athletic brain injury expert interviewed by the New York Times told the newspaper that as few as 1 in 7 concussions in children who play high-impact sports such as football and hockey ever get diagnosed and treated.

But, again, the growing recognition of the potential for and seriousness of mTBIs in children is a good thing. Concerted efforts are being made to improve helmets for everything from bicycling and skiing to football, and Virginia, North Carolina (NC) and 30 other states have enacted laws and regulations requiring education on athletes and concussions, as well as keeping kids out of competition until they are medically cleared.

A good place for parents, coaches and student athletes themselves to start learning about how to prevent and treat concussions is by viewing this free online video seminar from the CDC: Heads Up: Concussions in Youth Sports.

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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 Emily Mapp Brannon,  Brain and Head Injury Attorney

My colleague John Cooper shares tips for protecting young cyclists on our Virginia personal injury attorneys’ website. During the summer more children are learning to ride bicycles, but taking safety precautions such as wearing a properly fitted helmet that conforms to safety standards and staying off roads with high posted speed limits are vital.

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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, Brain Injury Attorney

Researchers have made a breakthrough in the use of bone marrow stem cells in treating traumatic brain injuries after the technique was found to be safe in treating children with brain trauma.

A team from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston determined the safety of stem cell use, Discovery News has reported.

The results of the clinical trial, featured in the journal Neurosurgery, focused on 10 children between the ages of five and 14 who received treatment shortly after arriving at the hospital with severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

The team used bone-marrow-derived mononuclear cells. Bone marrow cells are known to help restore blood and immune system functions.

After examining patients each day for the six months following the procedure, scientists concluded their technique was safe. They reported no deaths and improved outcomes when compared to the results of typical cases of TBI.

The research results come at a time when traumatic brain injuries are being highlighted during Brain Injury Awareness Month.

The use of stem cells is just one of the revolutionary approaches being followed to treat traumatic brain injuries.

Our firm recently highlighted how exposure to the cold, causing hypothermia is a possible way ahead in the treatment of traumatic brain injury.

The possible benefits of hypothermia treatment were outlined in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2008.

While new treatments are for traumatic brain injuries are being pioneered all the time, there appears to be a limit to what science can do to reverse the effects of traumatic brain injury.

Our firm has consistently highlighted ways people can give themselves more protection from brain injuries such as wearing a helmet on a motorcycle or leaving the playing field when they are concussed.

And in cases where a brain injury has been caused by negligence, fault or deliberate wrongdoing, we have fought tirelessly for our clients.

Our firm obtained the largest personal injury verdict in Virginia (VA) history as of 2000 — $46 million for a gas station attendant who suffered a brain injury and other orthopedic injuries when he was pinned inside a partly demolished gas station when a Norfolk Southern train derailed due to a wrong 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 we have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office  in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Furthermore, we proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard 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 who 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.