Litigation

NFL New Concussion Policy Still Doesn't Go Far Enough

By Michael Kaplen

The NFL announced last evening new concussion policies regarding when it is appropriate to allow a player to return to play. Unfortunately these new policies while acknowledging the dangers of concussions and the need to keep a player out of the game until they have fully recovered, they fail to take into account all of the subtle signs of concussions and the mentality of players who try to minimize and mask their condition.  It's time that the league take the important step of absolutely prohibiting any player who has had a concussion or suspected concussion from returning to play until they are fully cleared by objective evaluations which can never be performed on the field. 

The NFL new concussion rule now prohibits any player who experiences amnesia, poor balance and who exhibits an abnormal neurological examination from returning to play during the same game, whether or not these symptoms quickly subside.  However, for more subtle brain injury symptoms such as dizziness and headache, a player is permitted to return to play unless these symptoms are "persistent" 

It is troubling that the league still chooses not to acknowledge the subtle signs of concussion and post concussion syndrome and still chooses to place players with these symptoms at risk for further injury. It is these subtle signs and symptoms and the fact that many signs and symptoms of concussion do not appear for hours or even days after the event that makes the NFL policy a dangerous one not only for its own players, but for all those who use the NFL as an example.

Still hoping that they get it right, WHEN IN DOUBT, KEEP THEM OUT!

You can read the full report in today's New York Times, New N.F.L. Rule on Concussions Benches Injured .

Full post as published by Brain Injury News and Information on December 03, 2009 (boomark / email).