Florida is fortunate enough to have two National Hockey League (NHL) teams — the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning — and as sports fans know, the National Hockey League has been recently embroiled in debates about head injuries. A number of hockey players in recent months and years have been severely injured with head injuries and brain injuries, prompting a debate in the organization about the role of head injuries in the organization. This debate can actually teach us quite a bit about Florida brain injuries — and not just those that happen in sports:
1) Brain injuries don’t take a car accident. Brain injuries can happen anywhere, even though Florida car accidents are a major cause of these types of injuries. In ice hockey, head injuries and brain injuries often occur when players get into fights or when they collide with other players. Head shots and checks are also a frequent source of head injuries. When players return to the ice too soon after an initial head injury, they can sustain an even more serious injury if they are targeted again.
2) Public attitudes have a lot to do with brain injuries. For years, on-ice fighting was seen as an essential part of the culture of ice hockey, and in many cases head shots (and their resulting injuries) were seen as simply a part of the game. However, even diehard sports fans are now questioning these assumptions. High-profile hockey players are also speaking out against head shots and against fighting in this sport, which could eventually change ice hockey culture as well as the instances of brain injuries and head injuries in hockey.
3) Brain injuries can take a long time to heal – even with no outward symptoms. Many hockey players that have recently been injured — including the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby — have fortunately been able to resume their normal daily life. However, on the ice they still experience dizziness and other symptoms of head injuries. Some hockey players find themselves out of the game for months or even a lifetime as a result of their head injuries. As well, the increasing debate about head injuries in the NHL has prompted some experts to come forward and to claim that many had injuries that occur on the ice actually have no symptoms. Some medical experts have suggested automatically checking all players for head injuries after every fight or after every trip to the penalty box. Already, the NHL has created the “quiet room,” to help evaluate players who may have sustained a brain injury on the ice.
4) Brain injuries deserve more attention. Whether you’re a sports fan or not, the debate about head injuries in ice hockey has created more communication about brain injuries in general. For example, the role of brain injuries in childhood sports has also gotten more attention as the number of brain injuries in the NHL has been in the news. This type of open discussion can help create new options for treatment and new preventative strategies.
If you have sustained a Florida brain injury, you don’t need a debate about brain injuries — you need an excellent attorney that can help represent your best interests and can advise you on your legal rights and options. To get this type of advice, contact the Flaxman Law Group today to arrange for a free accident consultation to discuss your case. With offices in Miami, Homestead, and Hollywood, the Flaxman Law Group is ready to serve the entire South Florida community.