Football Player with Brain Damage Sues University for Medical Malpractice

Posted on August 14, 2015

An alumnus of UC Berkeley recently filed a lawsuit against the University for failing to properly warn students on the football team of the long-term neurological consequences of concussions as well as for allegedly failing to properly prevent concussions from happening and reoccurring.

The former student claims he had suffered multiple concussions throughout his time playing for the football team at UC Berkeley from 2004-2008 and each time he was allowed back on the field too soon. He claims he was never warned by his coach, team physician, or head athletic trainer that the head injuries he was sustaining could lead to brain damage in turn causing life-long severely debilitating problems. The Complaint states that he now suffers from permanent brain damage that has caused depression, disorientation, losses in memory, and vision problems.

The student claims if he had known about the potential for permanent brain damage during his time playing football at the University he would have taken a longer period of time to rest between concussions and possibly quit playing on the team altogether.

His attorneys argue that students are not properly educated about concussions and their long-term effects by the people they trust the most, which are typically their coaches, team physicians, and trainers. Though informational materials are provided to the players about head injury, the attorney argues that the students are taking the opinions of their coaches and trainers most seriously and will often ignore third-party information. The attorneys feel that many trainers and coaches at colleges and Universities do not warn their football players about the dangers of head injury so that they will continue to play football. The University has released a statement that the care they provide to their students is equal to if not exceeding the standards of care for collegiate-level athletes.

To read more about the student and his case, visit a news article on The Daily Californian’s website here.

If you or a loved one suffered permanent brain damage as a result of a mismanaged head injury that may have been preventable, contact us for a case evaluation. NJ medical malpractice lawyers Weiss & Paarz have represented many victims of permanent brain damage for over 30 years, whether it was caused by a stroke misdiagnosis, an undiagnosed head injury or swelling of the brain (hydrocephalus). Please note that our firm does not charge any fees unless we recover money for you.