Category: Brain Injury

What is a Concussion & How Long Will it Take Me to Recover?

by Brian Hebert

A concussion is a form of mild traumatic brain injury caused by sudden shaking of the brain inside the head. The brain sits inside the skull surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid. With a sudden hit to the head or other part of the body, the head can move quickly in one direction.

However, the brain stays where it is, “floating” in the fluid so to speak, until it is struck by the inside of the skull which bats the brain toward the opposite wall of the skull. The brain can bounce back and forth between the opposite sides of the skull several times before everything calms down.  All of that commotion can cause bruising, bleeding and nerve damage.

Symptoms
of a Concussion

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Posted in: Brain Injury

Brain Stem Injuries

by John McKiggan

By John McKiggan Q.C.

One of the huge challenges in representing survivors of brain injury is providing convincing evidence of the debilitating nature of the injury. This is even truer in cases where the brain injury doesn’t cause any obvious physical disability. It can be easy to miss the signs of brain injury if you don’t know what to look for.

A short story

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Posted in: Brain Injury

Living with a Brain Injury: What Families and Caregivers Need to Know

by John McKiggan

While the road forward may be challenging, it is important for families and caregivers to know what to expect when it comes to living with a brain injury. Returning home after sustaining a brain injury—no matter how severe—can be a complex and emotional experience. For many, returning home is a sign of triumph after rehabilitation, and since home is a place of safety and security, is where they find their old selves once again.

Brain damage can result in confusion, memory loss, poor
organizational skills, disinhibition and poor reasoning skills and judgment.  Individuals who have been affected by a
traumatic brain injury may appear to have changed dramatically. It is important
that friends, family members and caregivers understand that the individual does
not want to feel or act differently than they did before the injury.

As brain injury lawyers, McKiggan Hebert has represented hundreds of survivors and helped their families understand the impact that a traumatic brain injury can have. With this in mind, we have compiled a basic list of things that families and caregivers should know when a brain injury survivor returns home, prepares to return to work and wishes to return to a normal life.

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Posted in: Brain Injury

Helmets a Poor Source of Protection from Concussions

by John McKiggan

Obviously a football player would never go onto the field without his/her helmet. But a new study concludes that helmets may provide a false sense of security when it comes to protecting players against the effects of concussion.

Concussions a Major Risk for Young Athletes

One of the co-authors of the study, Dr. Frank Conidi stated “protection against concussion and complications of brain injury is especially important for young players, including elementary and middle school, high school and college athletes, who’s still developing brains are more susceptible to the lasting effects of trauma”. Conidi is the Vice Chair of the American Academy of Sports Neurology Section.

Only a 20% Risk Reduction

Researchers tested the ten most popular football helmet designs to see how well they protected against traumatic brain injury. The office of the study found that football helmets only reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury by about 20% compared to wearing no helmet at all. While 20% is not insignificant it is a surprisingly low figure and one that seems counterintuitive.

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Posted in: Brain Injury, Concussion, Head Injuries, Uncategorized

Hockey Players Sue NHL for Concussion Claims

by John McKiggan

It’s the time of year that hockey is on the minds of many Canadians as we gear up for a Christmas tradition, watching the World Juniour Hockey tournament in Sweden.

Concussion Class Action

But in the United States, hockey is in the news for a different reason. Ten former National Hockey League players have filed a class action against the NHL claiming the league concealed evidence of the risks posed by repeated concussions and failed to protect players from head injuries by failing to implement rules that would protect players from head shots and other high risk behaviour.

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Posted in: Brain Injury, Concussion, Head Injuries, Uncategorized

Hockey Canada insurance doesn’t cover concussions! Say what?

by John McKiggan

As a personal injury lawyer I have seen many examples of the dangers of brain injuries in sports. In particular I have written about the potential lasting effects that brain injuries can have on child athletes. See for example:

Sudden Impact: Liability for Sports Related Concussions

Brain Injuries: Minor Hockey Players 10x More Likely to Suffer Brain Injuries

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Posted in: Brain Injury, Child Injuries, Child Safety, Concussion, Uncategorized

Predicting recovery time from concussions: New research may help brain injury claims

by John McKiggan

As a personal injury lawyer in Nova Scotia I commonly deal with clients who have suffered head injuries and concussions.

One thing that I have noticed is the symptoms and severity of head injuries, and how long it takes the patient to recover can vary greatly.

One of the challenges brain injury lawyers face is proving what the long term consequences will be for someone who has suffered a traumatic brain injury. I discuss this in more detail in my public legal education guide: Brain Matter: The Survivor’s Guide to Brain Injury Claims.

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Posted in: Brain Injury, Concussion, Head Injuries, Uncategorized

Halifax Concussion Scanner: Can new technology protect our kids?

by John McKiggan

Affordable Scanner Detects Brain Injury

Prominent Dalhousie University neuroscientist, Ryan D’Arcy, hopes to use his portable Halifax Consciousness Scanner to assess concussions and brain injuries at hockey rinks and hospitals.

His state-of-the-art scanner uses brain-wave patterns to detect brain damage. Addressing its applicability to hockey, D’Arcy explains that his device could be used pre-season to determine the normal brain function of the athletes. Then, following a hit, the device could quickly determine if there is any deviation.

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Posted in: Brain Injury, Concussion, Uncategorized

Mooseheads player fights back after concussion

by John McKiggan

The Halifax Mooseheads start the second round of the playoffs tonight against the Olympiques. The Mooseheads have had an incredible season, setting numerous team and league records in the process.

Marty Frk is one of the major reasons they have done so well, scoring 84 points this season. But he knows what it is like to be down and out.

Last season Marty suffered a terrible concussion and was forced to sit out for over 3 months. The 19-year-old winger said it was the toughest time of his life.

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Posted in: Brain Injury, Concussion, Head Injuries, Uncategorized

Blood tests for brain injuries: Will new test protect our child athletes?

by John McKiggan

Concussions are a “trending” injury in sports nowadays. I have been trying to help raise public awareness about concussions – the causes, effects, and how we can avoid them, by writing about the issue in past blog posts.

I think it is fair to say the public is finally becoming aware of the dangers of concussions and how often they can happen. The recent Canadian study that linked half of all concussions in child athletes to hockey was an eye opener to many.

The study suggested many brain injuries are being caused by checking from behind. Something that has been against the rules for 20 years.

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Posted in: Brain Injury, Uncategorized