There Has Been An Ongoing Dispute About Whether Football Players May Contract Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) As A Result Of Repetitive Blows To The Head. The Death of Chicago Bears' Safety David Duerson Proves It.
Head injuries, particularly in the game of American football, have long been a subject of deep concern and basis for research. It is no question that football players are more prone to confusion, blurred vision, memory loss, nausea, 
and sometimes unconsciousness as a result of these repetitive blows to the head. However, there are ongoing disputes about whether these injuries may have long-term effects and whether traumatic brain injury (TBI) and mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) may be more serious than most affiliations think.
In February of 2011, the National Football League finally took notice when Chicago Bears safety David Duerson shot himself in the chest, leaving behind a note requesting his brain be studied for evidence of a disease striking football players nationwide along with his legacy.
The note read, "Please, see that my brain is given to the NFL's brain bank."
Earlier that year, Duerson had informed his family that he wanted his brain to be studied so that others could learn more about the effects of brain trauma, ultimately making the game safer for kids and other athletes.
In May, three months after his death, scientists announced that Duerson's brain tissue showed "moderately advanced" signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a dementia-like brain disease afflicting athletes exposed to repeated brain trauma. There was no evidence of any other disease.
According to Dr. Ann McKee, co-director of the Boston University School of Medicine Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, the Bears' player had "severe involvement of areas that control judgment, inhibition, impulse control, mood and memory." This may have been a contributing-if not leading-factor into his suicide.
CTE has been found in the brains of 14 of 15 former NFL players studied at the center. The picture began to slowly unfold that trauma could cause brain damage.
Duerson's death and his decision to shoot himself in the chest to avoid damaging his brain tissue shocked his family and members of the football community. However, Dueson's son Tregg said that the analysis of his father's brain and the answers to questions about his death has given the family closure.
"It is my greatest hope that his legacy will live on and others won't have to suffer in this manner," he said.
Contact a Brain Injury Attorney
If you or someone you love suffers from traumatic brain injury (TBI) or mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), contact a California brain injury attorney immediately. The San Diego head injury lawyers at the Jurewitz Law Group understand that this places an enormous financial and emotional burden on victims and their families. We will get you the reparations to cover the steep medical costs associated with your injury and recovery. Call our personal injury law office at (888) 233-5020.
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- How to handle your personal injury claim
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Call the Jurewitz Law Group at 888-233-5020 to order one of our free California personal injury books to get the information you need or to set up a free consultation with one of our experienced San Diego personal injury attorneys.
