Personal Injury News & Developments
College Football Players Blaming NCAA for Not Disclosing Head Trauma Risks
College sports teams are watching what happens next, now that former football players suffering brain damage have begun suing the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) for not warning players about the associated risks of concussions that appear to be inherent in the sport. Legal experts believe new cases will be setting a precedent on the responsibility the Association holds and any potential change that might be required for college football players.
The first case that went to trial in June 2018 involved a former Division I college football player’s widow Deb Hardin-Ploetz who filed a lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages against the NCAA in 2017. The plaintiff claims that the Association ignored the warning signs associated with repeated head trauma that likely caused her husband’s early demise and blames NCAA for negligence and wrongful death. Court filings show that the NCAA countered the plaintiff’s allegations by responding that her husband “voluntarily participated in the activity of playing football and accordingly assumed the risk of injury.”
While many concussion-related cases have been filed against the Association before, all of them had been dismissed, settled out of court, or put on hold while working out legal disputes. Finally, decades after the first cases were filed, there would be a case in court to show evidence to a jury that might find in in the plaintiff’s favor if they determined that the Association was at fault for the death of her husband Greg; whom played defensive tackle and linebacker positions for the University of Texas over five decades ago. Ploetz graduated from college in 1975 with a Master of Fine Arts Degree and went on to become a high school and college art teacher. However, his condition became so severe that he stopped teaching a decade ago and passed away from the long-term effects of his illness on March 11, 2015, at 66 years old.
It is impossible to operate any form of machinery while you do not commit your full attention to the task at hand. This includes when you get behind the wheel of a car or truck. Distracted driving is a factor in a majority of accidents, and the epidemic has grown worse with each passing year as we continue to come up with innovative ways of taking our attention off of the road. Phones, music players, tablets and other mobile devices allow us a portable way of remaining connected to each other, but drivers need to have the patience to wait until they arrive safely at their destination before reaching for these items.
Rockford, Illinois – The quarterly report released by the IDPH (Illinois Department of Public Health) in the fall of 2017 revealed that Forest City Rehab & Nursing Center was cited for multiple violations. The nursing facility is located at 321 Arnold Ave. in Rockford. The report revealed that the facility was fined $29,400 for one Type A violations and two Type B violations. Type A and AA violations are the most serious violations that could or did result in a resident’s death.
Streamwood, Illinois – A 22-year-old Gurnee construction worker Brett Morrow died while installing a fiberglass liner in a sewer pipe that prevents leaks. The worker was fatally injured after being hit by a large horizontal pipe that blocked access of others to help the victim. Immediately after the accident, the injured worker communicated with others at the scene but was found unresponsive by emergency responders when they arrived.
Every invasive surgical procedure brings with it some level of risk. However, complex surgeries are usually most at risk and considered inherently dangerous when involving anesthesia, bleeding issues, the potential for blood clots and the time it takes to heal completely. The drugs used in anesthesia often produce a lingering side effect on the patient’s brain that can last months or years after the procedure. A blood clot or bleeding problem can cause near instant death.
Hobart, Indiana – A 62-year-old South Haven construction worker, Guy Holk, died in an evacuation site accident in Northwest Indiana on November 1, 2017, after being pinned against a wall by the bucket of an excavator. Hobart Police Department Lieutenant James Gonzalez stated that at approximately noon, emergency responders were called to the area of Pennsylvania Ave. And Lakeshore Drive where a construction crew was replacing sewer lines. When responders arrived, the victim was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the evacuation site at 1:38 PM by the Lake County coroner’s office.
Complacency in a hazardous work environment can cause injuries and death when workers let down their guard or do not follow the rules. Working around the 
Many bicyclists in the community fail to obey certain traffic laws. These cyclists just continue riding past stop signs, failing to come to a complete stop or will roll through red lights as though there are no oncoming vehicles. While they may appear to be violating the law, the cyclists may be in the right to do so. This is not to say that abandoning common sense is a good idea. But, research is showing that it might be a little