Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Medical-legal issues of mild traumatic brain injury

  • Published:
Current Sports Medicine Reports

Abstract

Numerous concussions/mild traumatic brain injuries occur each year during athletic participation by a variety of athletes not only in the United States but around the globe. A variety of standards-type statements have been developed by various athletic and sports medicine groups that can be used to improve and standardize the diagnosis and treatment of these injuries. These standards can also be used to assist practitioners in sports medicine clearance for participation and return-to-play decisions. In a medical-legal arena these statements can be used to support the care that is provided to athletes and thus serve as a “shield” to medical-legal claims and suits. However, these standards can also be used to attack the service that is provided and then be used as a “sword.” Legal issues surrounding standards statements regarding these injuries and the diagnosis and management of them should be recognized and appreciated by sports medicine providers and used to balance the applicable medical and legal risks associated with their practices.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References and Recommended Reading

  1. American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Sports Medicine, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine. Pre-Participation Physical Evaluation, edn 3. Minneapolis: McGraw Hill; 2005.

  2. Harmon KG: Assessment and management of concussion in sports. Am Fam Physician 1999, 60:887–892, 894.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Aubry M, Cantu R, Dvorak J, et al.: Summary and agreed statement of the first International Conference on Concussion in Sport, Vienna 2001. Br J Sports Med 2002, 36:6–10.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. McCrory P, Johnston K, Meeuwisse W, et al.: Summary and agreed statement of the second International Conference on Concussion in Sport, Prague 2004. Br J Sports Med 2005, 39:196–204.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Herbert DL: Sports Medicine and The Law, Part 1. The Sports Medicine Standards And Malpractice Reporter 1999, 11:42.

    Google Scholar 

  6. The Year in Review Medical News 11–28. Chicago: American Medical Association; 1989.

  7. Healthcare Standards 2006: Official Directory. Plymouth Meeting, PA: ECRI; 2006.

  8. Hyams AL, Brandenburg JA, Lipsitz SR, et al.: Practice guidelines and malpractice litigation: a two-way street. Ann Intern Med 1995, 122:450–455.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Team Physician Consensus Statement. Concussion (mild traumatic brain injury): a consensus statement (corrected statement). Med Sci Sport Exerc 2006, 38:395–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Practice parameter: the management of concussion in sports (summary statement). Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee. Neurology 1997, 48:581–585.

  11. Colorado Medical Society School and Sports Medicine Committee. Guidelines for the management of concussion in sports. Colo Med 1990, 87:4.

  12. Cantu RC: Guidelines for return to contact sports after a cerebral concussion. Physician Sports Med 1986, 14:75–76, 79, 83.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Mitten MJ, Maron BJ, Zipes DP: Task Force 12: legal aspects of the 36th Bethesda Conference recommendations. J Am Coll Cardiol 2005, 45:1373–1375.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. National Athletic Trainer’s Association position statement: management of sport-related concussion. J Athlet Train 2004, 39:280–297.

  15. Wahrer v San Bernardino City Unified School District, WL 350461 (Cal App 4 Dist 2006).

  16. Serrell v Connetquot Central School District of Islip, 19 AD 3d 683 (2005).

  17. Coonradt v Averill Park Central School District, 98 Misc 3d 516, 414 NYS 2d 242 (1979).

  18. Cerny v Cedar Bluffs Junior/Senior Public School, 267 Neb 958 (2004).

  19. Boston Mutual Insurance Company v New York Islanders Hockey Club, LP, 165 F 3d 93 (1999).

  20. St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. v Lexington Insurance Co., WL 1295408 (US Dist Ct, SD Fla 2006).

  21. Boyd v Bert Bell/Rozelle NFL Players Retirement Plan, 410 F 3d 1173 (9th Cir 2005).

  22. Jani v Bert Bell/Rozelle NFL Players Retirement Plan, WL 1115250 (2005).

  23. Cerny v Cedar Bluffs Junior/Senior Public School, 262 Neb 66 (2001).

  24. See H: Action of injured football player to be retried. Sports Medicine Standards and Malpractice Reporter 2002, 14:8–12.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Herbert & Benson Attorneys at Law, 4571 Stephen Circle NW, Canton, OH, 44718, USA

    David L. Herbert JD

Authors
  1. David L. Herbert JD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David L. Herbert JD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Herbert, D.L. Medical-legal issues of mild traumatic brain injury. Curr Sports Med Rep 6, 20–24 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11932-007-0007-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11932-007-0007-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation