Boston brain injury lawyer

March 4, 2017

Infant Brain Injury Studied by Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Gaining a better understanding of pre-term infant brain injury can help reduce future incidents and improve outcomes for preemies. That’s why researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and NFANT Labs (an Atlanta-based company) are teaming up. The trio announced they would be collaborating to delve into the question of how neonatal sucking patterns could be an indication of brain development. If abnormal feeding patterns are proven to be an early indicator of an underlying brain injury, then doctors, nurses and other caregivers could take note – and quicker action to address it, ultimately improving outcomes.

Detecting a newborn brain injury early on is difficult. The current brain injury technology we have developed isn’t sensitive enough to pick up potential issues for babies that young. Even equipment that could work tends to be far too expensive for practical use on a regular basis. Prior research has established some type of connection between the way a baby sucks early on and later neurodevelopmental outcomes. A better understanding of this could help doctors detect brain abnormalities faster, which can mean initiating a number of early interventions.

Every year, some 500,000 infants in the U.S. are born premature. Of those, 60,000 babies are born weighing less than 3.3 pounds. Unlike in decades past, most of these babies will survive. However, preventing brain damage in these infants is often a challenge. So while these children are living, the rates of developmental disabilities and cerebral palsy stemming from brain injury are on the rise. Continue reading

July 13, 2016

School District Pays $10.5M to Settle Student Injury in Chicken Suit Beating

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The 17-year-old didn’t want to wear the chicken suit. It was hot. It was itchy. And he’d already gotten roughed up briefly by a couple of his fellow students before the pep rally.

The suit was rented just for the rally as a way to mock the other team’s mascot, an eagle. But he didn’t want to go through with it anymore and pleaded with the athletic director to let him off the hook. Instead, she threatened him with the $75 cost of the rental if he didn’t keep it on and head to the pep rally as intended, where he was slated to engage in a “mock fight” with the football team. He acquiesced. It didn’t go well.

When it was all over, he suffered a traumatic brain injury that he will likely grapple with the rest of his life. Now, the school district has agreed to pay $10.5 million to settle the case after jurors found the school district 100 percent liable for the former student’s injuries. The settlement offer was extended just days after the verdict was reached, but in advance of the damages portion of the trial. Continue reading

March 23, 2016

Pop Warner Football Settles High Profile Lawsuit

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

We have been hearing a lot about head injuries associated with playing football in recent years, and this past year, the issue was probably more of hot topic than ever before. There was even a movie starring Will Smith aptly named Concussion. However, head injuries resulting from playing football are not only a problem for college and professional athletes.

As a result of the high potential for brain injury, more and more parents are not allowing their children to play youth football once they are at an age where tackling is allowing. Even some colleges, such as those that are part of the Ivy League football conference, have agreed to not allow any tackling during practice, which has become very controversial among those who think it will make games on Saturday less competitive. Continue reading