After reading Eric's post, I thought this might be timely. I was going to put it in Coaching but parents need to know this stuff, too.
Concussions
In October 2017, a settlement involving undisclosed financial terms and extensive concussion protocol changes was reached in Langston v. Wake County Schools, a wrongful death lawsuit alleging negligence by coaches in prematurely returning to action a Rolesville High School (North Carolina) football player who suffered a head injury during practice. After sustaining a helmet-to-helmet hit during practice and exhibiting indicia of a concussion, Isaiah Langston was withheld from the rest of the practice and from team activities for the next two days, but his parents were never notified about the injury and on the third day after the incident, he was allowed to return to play by participating in pre-game drills without having obtained written medical clearance from a licensed healthcare professional as mandated by state law.
During the drills, Langston began complaining of severe head pain and he then collapsed, dying shortly thereafter. The case demonstrates the critical importance for schools, athletic administrators and coaches of complying with prevailing concussion protocol standards, including the requirements set forth in applicable state concussion laws, almost all of which 1) mandate immediate removal from play of an athlete suspected of having sustained a concussion, 2) bar same-day return to action, 3) permit return to play contingent upon written medical clearance from a licensed healthcare professional (specifically defined in each state statute) and 4) require some level of concussion education for athletic personnel, parents and student-athletes (specifically defined in each state law).
In July 2017, in Swank v. Valley Christian School, the Washington Supreme Court held that a full trial should be held in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Drew Swank, a high school football player who died after allegedly being prematurely returned to action following a head injury sustained during a game. On the Monday following the Friday night contest where the initial injury occurred, the Swank family’s doctor diagnosed a concussion and imposed “no practice, no play restrictions” on the young man. On Thursday, Swank told his mother that his headaches and other concussion symptoms had disappeared and that he wanted to play in the next day’s game. His mother contacted the doctor, convincing him to lift the restrictions without a follow-up exam, and based on that medical clearance – despite the fact that before and during the contest Swank appeared to his team’s coaches and athletic trainer to be sluggish, confused and still exhibiting indicia of a concussion – Swank was allowed to participate in the game. Following a play where he sustained a blow to his head, Swank staggered to the sideline, vomited and collapsed. He was airlifted to a hospital where he died two days later.
The case illustrates an important standard of practice for athletic personnel – the principle that even if a concussed athlete has been cleared by a doctor to return to action, if coaches or athletic trainers believe it is unsafe for the player to participate, the athlete should be withheld from competition. The Washington Supreme Court, in applying the Zackery Lystedt law – the nation’s first concussion protocol law, enacted in 2009 – stated that “although the Valley Christian School argues it had a right to rely on Dr. Burns’ note that Drew was fit to play, the Zackery Lystedt law does not permit [school athletic personnel] to ignore observable signs that Drew continued to suffer from the concussion he had earlier sustained and ignore its own concussion plan that required the school to remove Drew from play.” Athletic directors, coaches and athletic trainers often operate under the misconception that they cannot “overrule” the clearance-to-participate issued by doctor – the Swank case demonstrates the principle that if athletic personnel recognize the manifestation by an athlete of concussion indicia, the player should be withheld from competition, period.
Concussions
In October 2017, a settlement involving undisclosed financial terms and extensive concussion protocol changes was reached in Langston v. Wake County Schools, a wrongful death lawsuit alleging negligence by coaches in prematurely returning to action a Rolesville High School (North Carolina) football player who suffered a head injury during practice. After sustaining a helmet-to-helmet hit during practice and exhibiting indicia of a concussion, Isaiah Langston was withheld from the rest of the practice and from team activities for the next two days, but his parents were never notified about the injury and on the third day after the incident, he was allowed to return to play by participating in pre-game drills without having obtained written medical clearance from a licensed healthcare professional as mandated by state law.
During the drills, Langston began complaining of severe head pain and he then collapsed, dying shortly thereafter. The case demonstrates the critical importance for schools, athletic administrators and coaches of complying with prevailing concussion protocol standards, including the requirements set forth in applicable state concussion laws, almost all of which 1) mandate immediate removal from play of an athlete suspected of having sustained a concussion, 2) bar same-day return to action, 3) permit return to play contingent upon written medical clearance from a licensed healthcare professional (specifically defined in each state statute) and 4) require some level of concussion education for athletic personnel, parents and student-athletes (specifically defined in each state law).
In July 2017, in Swank v. Valley Christian School, the Washington Supreme Court held that a full trial should be held in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Drew Swank, a high school football player who died after allegedly being prematurely returned to action following a head injury sustained during a game. On the Monday following the Friday night contest where the initial injury occurred, the Swank family’s doctor diagnosed a concussion and imposed “no practice, no play restrictions” on the young man. On Thursday, Swank told his mother that his headaches and other concussion symptoms had disappeared and that he wanted to play in the next day’s game. His mother contacted the doctor, convincing him to lift the restrictions without a follow-up exam, and based on that medical clearance – despite the fact that before and during the contest Swank appeared to his team’s coaches and athletic trainer to be sluggish, confused and still exhibiting indicia of a concussion – Swank was allowed to participate in the game. Following a play where he sustained a blow to his head, Swank staggered to the sideline, vomited and collapsed. He was airlifted to a hospital where he died two days later.
The case illustrates an important standard of practice for athletic personnel – the principle that even if a concussed athlete has been cleared by a doctor to return to action, if coaches or athletic trainers believe it is unsafe for the player to participate, the athlete should be withheld from competition. The Washington Supreme Court, in applying the Zackery Lystedt law – the nation’s first concussion protocol law, enacted in 2009 – stated that “although the Valley Christian School argues it had a right to rely on Dr. Burns’ note that Drew was fit to play, the Zackery Lystedt law does not permit [school athletic personnel] to ignore observable signs that Drew continued to suffer from the concussion he had earlier sustained and ignore its own concussion plan that required the school to remove Drew from play.” Athletic directors, coaches and athletic trainers often operate under the misconception that they cannot “overrule” the clearance-to-participate issued by doctor – the Swank case demonstrates the principle that if athletic personnel recognize the manifestation by an athlete of concussion indicia, the player should be withheld from competition, period.