Brain Injury Law Passes In Washington
Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire just signed the nation’s most comprehensive return-to-play concussion law for high school sports. The law was named for Zackery Lystedt, a 16-year old high school football player who went back to play following a concussion and subsequently suffered a life-threatening brain injury. All athletes under the age of 18 will now need a licensed health care provider’s approval before being allowed to return to the game after a concussion. The law will also require each of the state’s school districts to work with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association to develop standards for educating parents, players and coaches of the dangers of concussions and head injuries. (Zackery finally is only partially recovered after over a year of rehab.*)
Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a broader acknowledgment of the long-term effects of concussions and brain injuries from sports in general and football in particular. The NFL has spent much time and money burying their study results for their own ends, including their actuarial numbers which a subsidiary of insurance giant AON has reputedly been conducting for years. Of course, Directors and Officers of AON have also been owners of the Chicago Bears for decades… (Read our earlier posts HERE and HERE or you can simply do a search for Aon on our blog by typing it into the search bar at the top of this website.)
Concussions and brain injuries will be among the many topics discussed at The Summit in Las Vegas May 29 – 31.
In the meantime, you can also read an enlightening interview with sports agent, Leigh Steinberg, HERE, in which he discusses his personal thoughts about concussions.
* CORRECTION AND UPDATE: This just came in from Victor Lystedt, Zack’s Dad - “Your article about Zack was not accurate. Zack is still in a wheelchair and cannot stand on his own. Zackery is in need of 100% homecare. You stated it took a year to recover. With a lifetime of therapies he may (recover). Thank you for the story. I’m Zack’s very proud Father…”
Our thoughts and prayers are with Zack for a full recovery!
Dave Pear
May 14th, 2009 at 6:28 pm #
A concussion is a brain injury and ALL brain injuries are serious!
How can The Retirement Board and Disability Claims Committee continue to reject disability applications from retired players who suffer from concussions which are brain injuries?
Unless a player experiences a serious injury on national TV and is carried off the field on a stretcher, his chances of receiving a disability benefit are slim to none.
When a player does apply for disability, they’re sent to a doctor selected by the NFL (the retired player even has to provide his own transportation to and from the doctor and pay for this examination!) and 98% of the time this doctor makes an employment decision that the injured player can do “sedentary” work. What does that mean? Is this doctor qualified to make employment decisions? And just exactly what kind of “sedentary jobs” are they referring to ? I guess being a poor homeless guy sitting on the corner with a tin cup would qualify according to their definition?
Nobody will answer these questions.
Regards,
Dave Pear
Kyle
May 16th, 2009 at 9:19 am #
The question is…
How many more guys have to die before they acknowledge that there is a problem?
Kyle
Dave Pear
May 16th, 2009 at 1:08 pm #
Kyle,
The NFLPA may privately acknowledge there is a problem and they may even want it to go away.
However, they are unwilling to return the money they illegally swindled and stole from retired players and their families.
Until the NFLPA has a legitimate disability system and a pension that matches baseball, this dark cloud hanging over them will only become darker as more and more retired players come forward and tell their stories!
Sincerely,
Dave Pear
NFL 1975-80
Pro Bowl 1978
Super Bowl XV (teammate of Gene Upshaw)
Social Security Disability
Dave Pear
May 19th, 2009 at 6:16 am #
Note:
“Zackery Lystedt is still in a wheelchair and cannot stand on his own. Zackery is in need of 100% homecare.”
Dave