Tag: concussion

Former University of Alabama Defensive End Describes Living With The Long-Term Effects of Concussions

Posted by Jeff Raizner on July 16, 2018

It’s been a long time since Les Williams stepped foot on a football field, but the effects of his time playing for the University of Alabama are impossible to forget. Williams suffers from a variety of complications caused by repeated impacts to the head sustained during play, but he’s far from alone. Thousands of former collegiate football players are struggling with the long-term effects of concussions.

Daily Struggles

Williams played for the University of Alabama as a defensive end in the early 2000s. Since his time playing football, he has struggled to hold a job because of his symptoms. He suffers from constant headaches, memory loss, depression, and mood swings. Williams was never warned or prepared for the serious neurological conditions he and many other former football players are now experiencing.

Williams can remember several hits he believes caused significant brain damage. One was in 2002 when he slammed into a punter during a game against Southern Mississippi University. His head “rang” as he jogged over the bench, and he recalled thinking something wasn’t right. In another instance, he suffered a head-to-head collision during practice that caused him to lose vision in his left eye for about 30 seconds and caused the entire left side of his body to go numb.

Hundreds of former players, including Williams, want answers from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The NCAA is charged with protecting student athletes and their wellbeing, but despite this responsibility, the NCAA did not discuss the long-term consequences of concussions with players or institute protocols that could have lessened the damage.

Permanent Damage

Unfortunately for Williams and others, concussive and sub-concussive hits to the head and brain do more damage than the initial impact. When brain cells die, they release a toxic protein that actually causes more brain cell death in surrounding cells. There is no way to stop the release of this protein or reverse its effects. This can cause many different degenerative neurological conditions, such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s, among others.

Get Help From An Experienced Concussion Injury Lawyer

At Raizner Slania LLP, our experienced concussion injury lawyers are representing former NCAA football players in lawsuits to obtain compensation. Call us today for a free consultation to see how we can help.

Raizner Slania Files Concussion Lawsuit On Behalf Of Mississippi State Athlete

Posted by Jeff Raizner on September 28, 2016

Raizner Slania filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of a former Mississippi State University football player against the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for their reckless disregard of the health and safety of student athletes.

During the course of a college football season, athletes can receive more than 1,000 impacts greater than 10g’s (gravitational force); many hits to the head can exceed 20g’s, with some approaching as much as 100g’s. While this amount of force might be hard to conceptualize, it is the equivalent force experienced by a person hitting the windshield of their car in an accident at 25 mph.

The plaintiff played for Mississippi State from 1974 to 1978 as a cornerback. During his time on the field, this former athlete was subject to countless concussive or sub-concussive hits, but was simply told to “shake it off.” The plaintiff was denied the appropriate medical treatment to reduce the severity of potential brain injuries.

As a result of his time playing for Mississippi State, the plaintiff now suffers from severe memory loss, chronic headaches, and other debilitating medical issues. The NCAA and the SEC failed to implement appropriate health and safety protocols that would monitor, manage, and mitigate risks associated with concussions.

The SEC is regarded as one of the most victorious conferences under the NCAA and is extremely financially successful. In 2015 alone, the SEC distributed $455 million to its fourteen member schools, including Mississippi State. Despite the financial success of the NCAA, its universities, and its conferences, very little care is taken to protect the wellbeing of the student athletes responsible for this success.

Raizner Slania: NCAA Concussion Attorneys

If you or a loved one have experienced brain trauma as a result of a head injury while playing for an NCAA regulated team, please contact the attorneys at Raizner Slania today. The NCAA, its universities, and its conferences have a responsibility to provide the proper care after a student suffers a concussion during athletic play, not to be a silent party to their injuries. Our consultations are free and you won’t owe us anything unless we help you recover compensation for your injuries.

Class Action Complaint Filed Against the NCAA on Behalf of University of Michigan Football Players

Posted by Jeff Raizner on June 17, 2016

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is an association that governs the athletics of more than 1,300 colleges, universities, conferences, and organizations. Although the NCAA claims to implement injury prevention and treatment protocols in order to maintain the mental, emotional, and physical health of more than 400,000 student-athletes, often athletes competing on NCAA regulated teams endure dangerous and life-changing injuries. Raizner Slania has filed a total of ten class action complaints against the NCAA regarding the NCAA’s culpability for its negligence and failure to protect its students.

One case focuses on the injuries suffered by a football player that attended the University of Michigan. The class representative played as a middle linebacker from 1972-1974. Throughout his career playing on the Michigan football team, the football player was repeatedly subjected to head impacts and consequently, sustained several concussions. In one major incident, the lead plaintiff was sent to the hospital after being “laid out” from a tackle during practice. The player had endured a blow so violent that he lost feeling throughout his body. Despite the severity of his injury, the player reports that he was sent back on the field only a few days after being released from the hospital.

In several other incidents, the Michigan player – unaware that he was doing so – walked to the incorrect sideline after sustaining head trauma. However, rather than receiving the appropriate medical treatment to monitor, manage, and alleviate the risks associated with head injuries, the player simply would “shake it off” and continue to actively participate. As a result, the football player now suffers from a variety of medical problems and disorders including depression, learning issues, memory loss, mood swings, numbness and tingling, reduced cognitive function, reduced processing speed, a decline in attention and reasoning, and sleeplessness among other issues.

NCAA Head Injury Lawyers: Raizner Slania

The NCAA, its conferences, and universities have a responsibility to look after the health and safety of their student-athletes. Contact Raizner Slania today if you or a loved one have experienced head trauma and neurological disorders as a result of a head injury while playing for an NCAA regulated team.

Class Action Complaint Filed Against the NCAA on Behalf of the University of Georgia Football Players

Posted by Jeff Raizner on June 16, 2016

Although the National Collegiate Association (NCAA) advocates to safeguard the well-being of student-athletes participating in more than 1,300 conferences and universities, many individuals participating in NCAA regulated teams have experienced severe injuries that often lead to long-term medical issues.

One recent case filed regarding the NCAA’s negligence addresses the debilitating injuries suffered by football player that attended the University of Georgia. The student-athlete at the center of the case played as a defensive end from 1984-1986. During one kickoff practice, the Georgia player was violently hit and knocked unconscious. When he woke up, the player saw stars and – unaware that he was doing so – walked to the wrong sideline. By the end of his career on the Georgia football team, this student-athlete endured chronic brain injuries through more than five concussions. As a result, the Georgia player now exhibits many medical problems and disorders including depression, irritability, memory loss, and sleeplessness.

Raizner Slania NCAA Concussion Lawyers

Class Action Complaint Filed Against the NCAA on Behalf of the University of Oregon Football Players

Posted by Jeff Raizner on June 15, 2016

Between May 17, 2016 and June 7, 2016, Raizner Slania has filed a total of ten class action complaints against the National Collegiate Association (NCAA) regarding the association’s negligence and failure to guard the health and safety of its student-athletes. Each of these class action complaints emphasizes the culpability of the NCAA and its various conferences, for their actions pertaining specifically to various schools.

One case filed regarding the NCAA’s irresponsibility focuses on a class representative football player that attended the University of Oregon. This student-athlete played as an offensive lineman, center and right guard, from 1971-1973. During the practices and games of his freshmen year alone, this student- athlete was knocked unconscious repeatedly, and potentially as many as twenty times. The player suffered more than five concussions by the time he ended his career playing for the Division I Oregon football team.

As a result, this player now has a variety of medical problems and disorders correlated to experiencing chronic head trauma. Along with suffering from fatigue, headaches, memory loss, neck and cervical spine arthritis, numbness and tingling, and sleeplessness the Oregon player was also eventually diagnosed with dementia, anxiety, depression, and experienced a decline in test performance after seeking medical treatment for concussion-related symptoms.

Raizner Slania: NCAA Concussion Attorneys

Class Action Complaint Filed Against the NCAA on Behalf of Duke University Football Players

Posted by Jeff Raizner on June 13, 2016

Between May 17, 2016 and June 7, 2016, Raizner Slania has filed a total of ten class action complaints against the National Collegiate Association (NCAA) to obtain redress for individuals injured by the association’s conduct concerning the well-being of student-athletes participating in NCAA regulated universities and conferences. Although the NCAA advocates “student-athlete safety” and emphasizes a concern for injury treatment and prevention, many student-athletes competing in institutions governed by the NCAA endure dangerous injuries that often lead to long-term and life-changing medical issues.

Each of these class action complaints highlights the culpability of the NCAA and its various conferences, for their actions related specifically to various schools.

One case filed regarding the NCAA’s negligence for player health and safety depicts a football player that attended Duke University. This student-athlete played as a defensive back from 1998-2003. During one particular practice, this player suffered a severe concussion from a blow that involved a violent helmet-to-helmet collision with another player. Immediately after the incident, the student-athlete reported that he both saw stars and was experiencing a “throbbing” head pain that lead to migraine headaches and light sensitivity for several weeks.

Although the student-athlete continued to endure several more concussions throughout his career as a football player at Duke, he never received the appropriate health and safety treatment to address, monitor, and alleviate the risks associated with head injuries. Due to neurological and cognitive damage, this student-athlete now suffers from various medical problems and disorders ranging from anxiety, blackouts, depression, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, impulse control issues, irritability, memory loss, sleeplessness, and a decline in processing speed and reasoning, among other issues.

Raizner Slania NCAA Head Injury Attorneys

The NCAA, its conferences, and universities have a responsibility to look after the health and safety of their student-athletes. Contact Raizner Slania today if you or a loved one has experienced head trauma and neurological disorders as a result of a head injury while playing for an NCAA regulated team.