High School Lacrosse Player Files Injury Lawsuit Against County
A female high school lacrosse player recently filed a personal injury lawsuit against Orange County, the Florida High School Athletics Association, and the opponent who dealt her the blow that caused her to sustain a concussion during a game. The Orange County lawsuit seeks $15,000 in compensation as remedy for the victim’s injuries.
The case began in February 2015 when the victim was hit in the head by the opposing player named in the suit. After being dazed for several seconds following the injury, the victim was allowed to play for about 15 additional minutes before being taken out of the game.
The suit contends officials should have immediately removed the victim from the game and followed concussion testing protocols to determine the extent of the injury. The suit names the Florida High School Athletics Association since the organization is responsible for training, providing and supervising referees for athletic events in the state.
Under Florida High School Athletic Association rules, athletes showing symptoms of a concussion, such as loss of consciousness, headache and/or dizziness, should be removed from the field and not allowed to return until examination by a healthcare professional. The suit alleges this did not happen in the plaintiff’s case and continues to suffer from headaches and other symptoms as a result.
Organizations such as the American College of Pediatrics contend concussions in school sports are vastly under reported and more attention should be given to them. The organization urges coaches, trainers, and referees to understand the signs and symptoms of a concussion and to undergo training to do such.
Traumatic Brain Injury Lawsuits
The plaintiff’s lawsuit in this case alleges she suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of the defendants’ negligence. Traumatic brain injuries are very serious and occur when the brain sustains damage due to an external force or motion.
Types of traumatic brain injuries include:
- Closed brain injuries – Brain damages caused by rapid acceleration and deceleration of the head, causing the brain to violently smash, shake, or twist. Nerve and tissue damage is a common consequence for this type of TBI
- Penetrating brain injuries – The skull is fractured and brain damaged by a foreign object such as a bullet or other missile type object
- Acquired brain injuries – An extremely serious type of TBI where brain nerve fiber shear due to trauma or cell death caused by swelling, bleeding, disease or loss of oxygen (anoxia)
Orlando Brain Injury Lawyers
Traumatic brain injuries vary in their severity but can result in lingering side effects or even require a lifetime of care and medical treatment. TBI victims may be able to hold wrongdoers who caused their injury responsible by filing lawsuits with the aid of Orlando brain injury lawyers.
The Pendas Law Firm regularly represents TBI victims and understands the complexities of these types of cases. For a free legal consultation, contact our Orlando law firm. Our practice represents clients throughout Florida including Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale & Miami.
