Traumatic Brain Injuries in Football: High-Tech Mouthguards and Smart Helmets

If you’re the parent of a child who plays high school football, recent news about contact sports and traumatic brain injury may have made you a little nervous about your child’s safety while on the football field. The problem is a serious one which has garnered a lot of attention in the past few years.

One of the biggest issues arises when players who have received a concussion during game time continue playing because no-one realizes they’ve suffered an injury to the head. Helmets, which help to reduce the risk of concussions, unfortunately are not capable of eliminating concussions altogether.

Technology, however, may provide at least a partial solution. TechCrunch recently reported on a number of technological advances in football gear which may help in assessing whether a player has suffered a concussion-inducing injury while on the field.

For example, a new mouthguard, projected to be available this spring, uses advanced technology to measure the extent of impacts to the head and send this data to a mobile device. Helmets are also being developed which have the capability of measuring data about impacts affecting the head and delivering this data to the sidelines.

One helmet employs rare-earth magnets to reduce the G-force of head-to-head collisions. The downside, however, is that it will only work if everyone on the field is wearing a helmet using these magnets.

Experts agree that smart gear such as mouthguards and helmets won’t be able to prevent all concussions from happening on the field. In light of this, high school football players need to learn the symptoms associated with concussions, as well as proper tackling techniques that don’t use the head. Strength training to strengthen neck strength may also be important.

If you’ve suffered from a personal injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, a competent attorney will help you get the compensation to which you are entitled. Robert Greening is the principal attorney at Greening Law, P.C. He has dedicated his 24 years of practice to the litigation of wrongful death and serious injury cases. If you have a question about a recall or injury, contact Greening Law, P.C. at 972-934-8900.