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BRAIN INJURIES ABOUND AND FORMER PLAYERS SEEK RECOURSE ALLEGING THE N.F.L COULD HAVE DONE MORE

May 14th, 2012

The National Football League (NFL) not only captures the attention of millions of Americans on the field, but in the courtroom as well. The NFL is facing several lawsuits alleging that repeated head trauma causes long-term injuries. The group of plaintiffs comprises hundreds of ex-NFL players and wives, including former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Brad Culpepper.

Brad Culpepper, currently a personal injury attorney in Tampa, played in the N.F.L. for a total of nine (9) years, five (5) of which he was a starter for the Bucs. He is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed this past Monday against the NFL, claiming they allegedly misrepresented and concealed the long term effects of head injuries and repeat trauma to the brain. Culpepper allegedly suffers from numerous neurological conditions related to multiple head injuries. Filed in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania, the suit states the NFL “produced industry-funded, biased research and advocacy that actively misrepresented that concussions and sub concussive head impacts do not present serious, life threatening risk.”  The science surrounding traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome is fluid and rapidly evolving.  Thus, it will be interesting to see how this lawsuit plays out and whether the N.F.L. was truly aware of the long term consequences and prognosis for athlete suffering repeat trauma to the head.

Bob Lilly, Randy White, Rayfield Wright and numerous other former Dallas Cowboys filed a suit against the NFL on Tuesday in Houston, TX, accusing the league of concealing the links between concussions and permanent brain injury. These players named in the lawsuit suffer from issues ranging from short term memory loss to dementia that requires continuous medical care. The complaint claims the NFL engaged in “irresponsible and dangerous” activity by failing to investigate, inform and take rational action to alleviate the risks linked with multiple concussions. As a brain injury Attorney, it is my goal to keep you informed of the latest in both medical and legal news concerning this rapidly evolving area of the law.

The NFL has denied all claims and restated that according to the union agreements, the cases should be settled in closed-door arbitration. The NFL, last year, put in place a new protocol that requires team doctors to assess and monitor players after they sustain concussions during a game. The protocol became mandatory last season.

The injury lawyers at Dolman Law Group routinely handle closed head injury and brain injury claims throughout the State of Florida

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA SITES LIKE FACEBOOK HAVE AFFECTED INJURY VICTIMS AND INJURY LAW ATTORNEYS ALIKE

May 8th, 2012

As injury law attorneys, we see no limit to how far insurance carriers will go in their attempts to undermine claims brought by injury victims.  Social Media websites (i.e., Facebook) are becoming universally used as a social outlet. These sites are a fantastic way to stay in touch with family, old friends, and new acquaintances. While social media has served as another avenue for communication and an outlet for leisure, it is essential to understand how the information you place on such sites can come back to haunt you.

Insurance companies have had a field day with the availability of information on these websites.  When an accident victim files a claim, it’s only a matter of time before some insurance agent is clicking through all of the victim’s photos on Facebook, and reading all of their twitter posts.  Insurance companies look for anything that they may be able to use to discredit all claims no matter how legitimate they may be. Photos are nothing more than a snapshot in time and often fail to tell much of a story at all.  However, defense lawyers will take a series of pictures of an injury victim smiling while having a good time with friends or family and utilize such to tell jurors that such person is not injured or in the condition they claim.  The defense lawyer acts as if the injury victim should walk around with a permanent scowl on their face.  If they did just that, they would be accused of being a malingerer.   It is also important to note that both adjusters and insurance defense lawyers will seek pictures depicting a car accident victim participating in an activity that would seem unorthodox for an individual claiming to be injured.

It’s not uncommon for an insurance agent to arrive at mediation with photos that have been printed off the plaintiff’s Facebook.  They can point to the smallest detail and attempt to use it to claim that the victim isn’t actually injured.  It’s not above an insurance company to claim that a severely injured person, who attempts to wear a certain type of healed shoe to a formal event, is lying about the injury.  Generally the pictures won’t show how much pain a person is or isn’t in.  However, no matter how insignificant, pictures, videos and posting found on these websites can be very dangerous to your claim.

Keeping this information out of the hands of insurance agents is very important.  You have a right to justice for the injuries and wrongs that you have been subjected to.  At Dolman Law Group, we take our client’s claims and rights very seriously.  Our injury law attorneys will advise you on how to protect your privacy against invasion through preventive measures and by limiting your postings after an accident. We are Florida injury lawyers who represent individuals that are seeking justice, and compensation for their injuries.  Never will a member of this firm represent an insurance company.  If you have been injured as a result of negligent, call us now for advice on how to protect yourself and your claim.

For a free consultation and case evaluation with a Dolman Law Group injury law attorney, please call us today at: (727) 451-6900.

 

THE N.F.L. IS BEING INUNDATED WITH LAWSUITS CONCERNING BRAIN INJURY AND CONCUSSIONS SUFFERED BY FORMER PLAYERS

May 8th, 2012

The sport of football is a classic American past time that is just as exciting to watch, as it is to play. As loyal fans, we prepare for “football Sunday” in our own unique ways. We make sure our favorite team jersey is clean, the big screen is working properly, finger foods are hot, and the drinks are cold. While experiencing this nail-biting entertainment for those four quarters, we tend to neglect the potential downsides the players face while engaged in the game. Yes, it is exciting to witness epic tackles and vicious sacks, but future mental damage including traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome seems to be the fate of the athletes we idolize.

The National Football League (NFL) is facing numerous lawsuits claiming that repeated head trauma results in either long-term or permanent cognitive injuries. The body of plaintiffs is comprised of hundreds of ex-NFL players, including retired quarterback Jim McMahon. The former players have collectively voiced that not enough was done to inform them about the dangers of concussions in the past, and not enough is being done to take care of them today. The group has filed over a dozen allegations against the National Football League. The allegations state that in the action of popularizing the sport, the NFL disregards the risk of permanent head injuries and brain trauma caused by repeated concussions. The complaints state that the former players suffered from ongoing health problems stemming from injuries sustained playing professional football. These problems include migraine headaches, depression and loss of memory. These are issues commonly associated with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Recent medical studies have shown that retired NFL players face a substantially higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other neurological and memory-related disorders. Study results, disclosed at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Paris, have indicated that the memory loss symptoms of dementia may be linked to the repeated concussions that football players encounter when playing the game. Researchers have also discovered that former players were clearly impaired when compared to similarly aged non-athletes. Other recent studies have demonstrated significant differences with chronic brain trauma patterns in professional football players. NFL players are subjected to repeated impact to the head resulting in clinical signs of a TBI.

The NFL has denied all the claims and restated that according to union agreements, the cases should be settled in closed-door arbitration. Current lawsuits have been filed in the states of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, California, Florida and Georgia. Last year, the NFL put in place a protocol that requires team doctors to assess and monitor players after they sustain concussions during a game. The official supplier of helmets used by the NFL, Riddell, is also being subjected to a separate lawsuit.  At a minimum, the lawsuits have helped in raising the awareness of issues faced by former players.  Further, this has gained the attention of the mainstream media which has led to increased awareness and understanding of brain trauma and concussions as a subject matter.

More than 100 former NFL players have filed the most recent lawsuit in U.S. Federal Court in Atlanta, Georgia. The class of plaintiffs is seeking an undisclosed amount of damages for lost wages, pain and suffering, and medical treatment. This could very well be the start of years of legal battles between the league and its former players. If nothing else, hopefully these lawsuits will continue to bring to light the safety issues professional football players’ face, and ultimately present solutions to help preserve the wellness of our favorite professional athletes.

The injury law attorneys at the Dolman Law Group routinely handle traumatic brain injury claims and lawsuits.  As a Florida brain injury attorney, I still continue to deal with the common misconceptions and myths pushed by both defense lawyers and insurance adjusters when dealing with claims of trauma to the brain.  If you or a loved one, friend or colleague, have suffered a head injury please call us today at (727) 451-6900 for a free consultation and case evaluation with a Florida brain injury attorney.

Matthew A. Dolman is a brain injury lawyer and injury law attorney who handles cases throughout the State of Florida.  For more information on Dolman Law Group and our injury law attorneys, please visit www.dolmanlaw.com

 

THE MARK WANDALL TRAFFIC SAFETY ACT AND HOW THE MONEY RAISED BY THOSE VIOLATING TRAFFIC LAWS HAS SERVED TO BENEFIT SOCIETY

May 7th, 2012

As Florida drivers, we see them popping up throughout our towns, they’re the “big brothers” of the road. Our initial feeling is to resent those tiny cameras that sit above traffic lights waiting to capture improper conduct by motorists. When an offense is committed, the appropriate fine is mailed to the offender, who has a specific amount of time the pay such. What few may realize is that a percentage of the violation fees we bitterly pay are actually being put to a great cause.

In 2010, the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act was passed in Florida, which allocates a portion of each fine toward research conducted at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. The Act’s dispersion of funds produced from negligent drivers is in place to aid victims of car accidents who suffer from traumatic injuries; injuries which often result in paralysis.

The Act is named in honor of Melissa Wandall’s husband, whose life was taken by a red-light runner two weeks before their daughter was born. Melissa is now a road safety advocate and has partnered with The Miami Project’s Chief Fundraiser, Marc Buoniconti, to create a public service video which discusses the advantages the Act has brought to Florida through the safety camera program.

The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis is comprised of over 200 researchers who focus on answering questions that help define human spinal cord injury and reveal strategies for the repair of damaged spinal tissue. Over the last 20 years, The Miami Project team has also made claim to several medical achievements. The project has pioneered the idea of a multidisciplinary approach to spinal cord injury (SCI) research, and was the first to build a state-of-the art SCI research center that contains the tools and technology, that in the hands of researchers will offer advances to a cure.

To date, the Wandall Safety Act has provided The Miami Project with $2 million over 18 months, and continues to support The Miami Project’s research. Members of the project have aspirations to extend far beyond Florida residents – treating anyone suffering from spinal cord injuries and other neurological diseases.

The injury law attorneys at the Dolman Law Group regularly handle spine injury cases and applaud the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act for advancements in the treatment of paralysis and spinal cord injuries.   By channeling a portion of money collected as a result of traffic violations, we are seeing advancements in spinal cord and spine injury research.

Matthew Dolman is a Florida injury law attorney who routinely handles insurance claims relating to injuries suffered as a result of an automobile accident, motorcycle accident, trucking accident as well as traumatic brain injuries and injuries suffered as a result of the negligence exhibited by a drunk driver.

Dangers of Texting and Driving Continue To Be Ignored

May 3rd, 2012

As Florida Injury Attorneys, we have focused much of our time on providing education and content on the dangers of texting and driving.  Texting and driving accidents are on the rise and are well documented in the media.

If you own a cell phone, chances are you’re aware of text messaging—brief messages limited to 160 characters, which can be sent or received on a vast majority of mobile phones.  According to CTIA, texting is on the rise, with the average teenager sending more than 3,000 texts each month. Undoubtedly, a large portion of such messages; are being sent by individuals operating an automobile. According to a recent survey, young drivers who engage in texting or talking on cell phones while driving believe it won’t happen to them – simply because they haven’t had a crash.

The process is routine-take out your wireless device and read the last text message you received. However, the question one must ask is: Would reading or responding to that text message from behind the wheel of a moving vehicle be worth the risk of getting into a car accident or worse?  Most people fail to grasp the concept of how precious life is and that one brief second can change things forever.  As I have stated in my prior blogs on the subject of texting and riving; the average motorist takes their eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds to retrieve and read a text message.  A car going 30 miles per hour can travel the length of a football field in that amount of time.  The idea that a car can travel that length while the driver is not looking at the road is downright scary.

For many, the allure to quickly read and respond, even from behind the wheel of a vehicle can be tempting. However, texting and driving is extremely dangerous, some may even classify the act as a death wish. The message we are trying to send is that the text message can certainly wait and is not worth the risk of injury or taking the life of another or even yourself in a tragic car accident.   Due to the popularity of texting and driving and acceptance in pop culture, this act has never received the stigma that drinking and driving has.  Keep in mind that texting and driving is just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.  Many Florida Injury Attorneys are seeking punitive damages for their injured clients due to willful and reckless conduct exhibited by a defendant who texted while driving an automobile.  The action of texting and driving can open you to personal exposure should you injure someone in an accident while operating your vehicle and engaged in such activity.

Currently, the state of Florida does not have a law prohibiting texting and driving, or the use of a cell phone while driving. Florida state records show that during the first ten months of 2011, electronic distraction led to 2,218 accidents with 145 of those linked specifically to texting and driving. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles claims cell phones are frequently cited as factors in serious accidents, but have not taken a position on hands-free legislation. The Florida Department of Transportation, however, has begun a “Stay Alive, Just Drive,” campaign as an attempt to target drivers who text, talk on cell phones or engage in other distracted driving behaviors.  Dolman Law Group has focused on sponsoring events and providing literature concerning the dangers of texting and driving.

The distracted driving crisis with teens can be prevented with a few simple tips. First, provide clear instructions to teenagers to not use their wireless devices while driving. Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association believes the easiest way to say it is: “On the road, off the phone.” Even before new drivers receive their licenses, discuss the fact that taking their eyes off the road – even for a few seconds – could cost themselves, or someone else injury or even death. Second, lead by example. Children learn from their parent’s behavior. Be an example for your children and if you need to text or talk on the phone, pull over to a safe place. Lastly, be informed and be active. Set rules for yourself and your household regarding distracted driving. Tell family and friends about the importance of driving without distractions.

The Florida Injury Attorneys of the Dolman Law Group are committed to combatting the activity of texting and driving and distracted driving in general.  If you have been injured as a result of an individual driving while texting, call Dolman Law Group today for a free case evaluation and consultation at: (727) 451-6900

Matthew A. Dolman, Esq., is a Florida Injury Attorney and limits his practice to serious bodily injury claims including traumatic brain injury, injuries to the spine, injuries as a result of texting and driving, injuries as a result of drunk driving, and wrongful death.

Dolman Law Group is a Clearwater Personal Injury Law Firm located in central Pinellas County.  The Florida Injury Attorneys of the Dolman Law Group handle personal injury law only. Further, all clients are provided the cell phone number of their handling attorney.  We pride ourselves on accessibility and the fact that we routinely litigate against a myriad of insurance carriers.

Matthew A. Dolman, Esq., Christian Myer, Esq., and Bryan C. Hannan, Esq., are your Florida Injury Attorneys.

Motorcycle Attorney Dolman Law Group Thanks Bubba the Love Sponge®

May 2nd, 2012

Clearwater Florida motorcycle attorney Matthew Dolman of the Dolman of the Dolman Law Group extended his congratulations, and expressed his thanks to both Bubba the Love Sponge® and The Bubba the Love Sponge® Foundation regarding the “Bubba’s Bikes for Badges” fundraiser.

The fundraiser held on April 15, 2012 raised funds for the families of law enforcement officers who have given their life while in service, as well as those who have suffered irreparable physical harm. The staff of Dolman Law Group was lucky enough to get to meet many of the participants at the end location of the charity ride, enjoying the opportunity to discuss and share advice about many of the realities they encounter as Tampa motorcycle injury attorneys. The participants thanked the motorcycle attorneys and the employees of the Dolman Law Group for being the only Pinellas County personal injury law firm to participate as sponsors for this very important event.

Per Matt Dolman “we are so very proud to be involved with Bubba’s charity and to assist in any way possible with the families of police officers who have tragically lost their lives in the line of duty. We are committed to the Tampa Bay community, and to the men and women who serve and protect. Bubba continues to do wonderful things with his charitable organization and we will continue to work with him and his staff on many fine events.”

Dolman Law Group hopes to be able to participate in “Bubba’s Bikes for Badges” again next year, and would once again like to express its thanks to both Bubba the Love Sponge® and the Bubba the Love Sponge® Foundation as well as Tampa Bay motorcycle enthusiasts that took part in this event.

The Dolman Law Group is a Florida Motorcycle Accident law firm located in central Pinellas County (ten minutes from St. Petersburg and fifteen minutes from downtown Tampa). The motorcycle attorneys at Dolman Law Group pride themselves on the following items:

  1. All Dolman Law Group Clients are provided the cell phone number of their handling attorney. Dolman Law Group takes client communications very seriously and strives to remain accessible. Unlike many of the law firms clients routinely see advertising on television, radio and billboards; Dolman Law Group attorneys are easy to get a hold of. Dolman Law Group attorneys are often retained by clients after they have terminated their relationship with many of the larger advertising law firms, and learn that the attorney never met or rarely spoke with their client.
  2. Dolman Law Group practices only personal injury law and handles no other areas of the law.
  3. Dolman Law Group litigates its own cases and does not outsource cases to other law firms, unlike many of the firms clients will find advertising.
  4. Dolman Law Group regularly participates in and sponsors charitable events throughout the Tampa Bay area.
  5. Dolman Law Group has the resources necessary to litigate against any insurance carrier and retain the necessary experts to maximize the value of a case.
  6. All decisions are made by attorneys and not paralegals or case managers which is common with many of the “television attorneys”

The Bubba the Love Sponge® Foundation, is a 501 (c)(3) Florida charity he founded in 2008 to help raise awareness and channel donations to worthy community causes and victims. The foundation pays out no salaries, and all funds raised get distributed to chosen causes after any expenses for events are paid.

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES: AFFECTING MORE THAN JUST MOTOR SKILLS AND MEMORY

May 2nd, 2012

As a brain injury lawyer, I often must explain just how devastating brain trauma can be to not only my injured client but to their family as well. Kurt Olson does not wake up and go to work anymore.  He doesn’t enjoy his free time reading books, dancing or taking drives with his wife anymore.  He is no longer enjoying the life he planned out for himself and his young wife Jennifer.  Kurt Olson is the victim of a traumatic brain injury… but it’s not his brain that has been injured.

In 2009, Jennifer Olson was involved in a car accident that left her in a coma, fighting to survive.  The future looked bleak.  Was she brain dead? Would she remain in a vegetative state? How bad is her brain injury trauma and could she ever recover? These are not the questions that a newlywed husband expects to be asking.  But it’s exactly what Kurt Olson was facing.

It turns out Jennifer partially recovered.  She woke up and her husband was relieved, but the relief only lasted so long. After Jennifer woke up is when the work started.  Three years later Kurt Olson is still caring for his young wife who is unable to control even the most basic functions. Jennifer has indeed suffered a traumatic brain injury.  He now accompanies her everywhere, cleans up after her, washes her hair, and goes through the home therapy that has been prescribed to improve her mental state and physical strength.  It’s a 24-hour per day job and it comes with some extra problems.  Emotional instability, confusion, and an inability to recognize reality make Jennifer Olson difficult to care for, but her husband Kurt won’t abandon her.  He says that he’s in it for the long haul; that he feels like he owes it to Jennifer to care for her.

But what’s the cost.  Kurt lost his job, his autonomy, all of his free time…Kurt Olson is as much a prisoner of his wife’s TBI as she is. She is not the only one fighting for her sanity.  Kurt is forced to make difficult decisions on behalf of his wife because she just cannot make them herself as a result of permanent brain trauma.

This is what the family of brain injury victims must deal with.  Emotional, physical, and financial hardships often persist for a lifetime. Victims of TBI often need constant care and supervision, leaving the family scrambling for resources.  The injury law attorneys at the Dolman Law Group work diligently to recover those resources for the families they represent.  As attorneys in Florida focusing on brain injury cases; Matthew Dolman, Christian Myer and Bryan Hannan, remain informed on the latest issues and science concerning the causes, diagnosis and treatment of brain trauma. 

Dolman Law Group is your Florida brain injury lawyers and personal injury law firm.  Located in Clearwater, our brain injury lawyers litigate serious accident claims statewide but more specifically in the Tampa Bay Area.  If you, a loved one, colleague or friend has suffered head trauma as a result of an automobile or motorcycle accident, call Dolman Law Group today for a free consultation or case evaluation. 

Matthew A. Dolman, Esq., Christian Myer, Esq., and Bryan C. Hannan, Esq., are your Florida brain injury lawyers. 

NOT ALL AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT INJURIES ARE OBVIOUS
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HIDDEN TRAUMA

May 1st, 2012

At midnight one evening in early April, I was riding in the backseat of a friend’s car.  I remember leaving a Tampa Bay Lightening hockey game and stopping for some wings. I recall getting into the backseat right behind the girl that was driving.  I even recollect driving through downtown Tampa on our way home.  However, the moments immediately following a drunk driver striking our vehicle while going the wrong way down a one-way street just seem to blur together. I was left with the following questions; did I pass out? Why is my vision blurry? Why am I standing in the middle of the road?

My head had impacted at least two different objects while the accident was going on.  It hurt, but my balance was ok, I didn’t feel sick, and the confusion was just minimal.  When the police arrived they asked questions and I answered as best I could.  I watched the drunk driver get handcuffed and taken away, but nobody ever asked if I was ok.  I thought I was and so did everyone else at the scene, but it turned out I wasn’t.  The vision issues didn’t subside the next day, the mild confusion persisted and I realized that there might indeed be something wrong.  The doctors told me it was a mild brain trauma.  That it was a good thing I came in to get treatment because the symptoms of this type of injury are often difficult to recognize.  Many people don’t go to the hospital because they’re just feeling a little “off”; but they should.  As a third year law student employed at a preeminent automobile accident law firm, I have learned first hand that many injury victims do not manifest with symptoms immediately.  Accident lawyers often fail to recognize  this issue and give in to the same cookie cutter approach commonly utilized by the defense.  Insurance carriers typically employ a defense in which they claim that if the automobile accident victim did not immediately seek treatment he/she cannot be injured.  The injury law attorneys at Dolman Law Group, focus specifically on ensuring our clients are evaluated by specialists; including Physiatrists to evaluate the injury victim from head to toe.

The symptoms of brain injury trauma are often minimal when compared with the severity of such an injury.  Mild headaches accompanied by occasional blurred vision can be signs of brain injury trauma.  Treatment for this type of injury is absolutely necessary; and sometimes the symptoms just aren’t there.  There’s no way to tell if your brain is truly injured following an accident without being evaluated by a specialist familiar with closed head injuries; so it’s important to seek medical attention as brain injury trauma can worsen over time without treatment.  A physician who routinely handles brain injury cases can refer the injury victim out for the proper diagnostic tests to determine if there is pathology and whether such can be correlated to the patient’s clinical presentation. Further, if injuries are not diagnosed and treated quickly enough; the insurance carrier may refuse to pay the medical bills associated with such.

It’s important to know how to react to these symptoms and how to protect yourself from further damages as a result of car accidents or other negligence.  The injury law attorneys at Dolman Law Group fight tenaciously for injured clients every day.  Matt Dolman, Christian Myer, and Brian Hannon remain up to date on the methods of treatment and scientific advancements in the field of traumatic brain injuries along with neck and back trauma to ensure that their clients are taken care of properly.

Dolman Law Group is an automobile accident law firm located in Clearwater, Florida.  The injury law attorneys of the Dolman Law Group limit their practice to representing only victims of Florida automobile accidents and motorcycle accidents.    If you have been a victim of a personal injury in Florida, call us today at: (727) 451-6900 for a free consultation and case evaluation.  Our auto accident lawyers handle claims statewide relating to an automobile accident, motorcycle accident, wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, insurance carrier bad faith and pedestrian accidents.  We also focus a portion of our practice on representing individuals who have been hit by a drunk driver.

Dolman Law Group is your Florida injury law attorneys and personal injury law firm.

 

Boxing and Trauma to the Brain
The Attorneys in Florida Known For Handling Brain Injury Cases Discuss New Research on Trauma to the Brain

May 1st, 2012

This just in from a research center in Gothenburg Sweden…the sport of boxing often results in head trauma and permanent injury to the brain. Now, this may not be all that surprising. However, we are finally seeing results in the brain injury field concerning long term trauma to the brain from repeated impacts to the head. Concussions and nerve damage resulting from head trauma are very tricky to diagnose and potentially dangerous injuries. Varying symptoms associated with head injuries, means that a victim of a TBI can often go without proper diagnosis and treatment.

The latest information from Sweden, while initially not all that surprising, may result in some changes in the boxing community. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy in cooperation with the Linköping University and the Swedish Boxing Federation have discovered that head trauma is a huge issue not only in professional boxing, but in amateur boxing as well. Now, the non-boxing fan may not know the difference between professional and amateur boxing, but the two sports have a huge number of variances.

A professional boxing match can go as many twelve rounds lasting three minutes each with fighters wearing only light boxing gloves as protective gear. Amateur boxing is much more cautious about protecting the competitors. Bouts last only three rounds and protective headgear, along with much bigger gloves are worn. Additionally, the scoring system in amateur boxing does not award fighters to go for the head cracking power punches that make professional boxing so exciting.

So what does all this mean? Simply put, no matter how precautious the organizers of boxing are, it may be inevitable that sport will cause head trauma and nerve damage to the participants. 80% of the participants in the Swedish study showed brain injury markers directly after a bout. And that’s no small thing, because amateur boxers will often fight several times in a matter of days. This means that it is likely that amateur fighters are sometimes squaring off while both competitors in the ring have brain injuries. That is indeed troubling and may stand for the proposition that the threshold for an impact to the head to cause a brain injury may not be as significant as once thought. As attorneys in Florida focusing on brain injury cases; Matthew Dolman, Christian Myer and Bryan Hannan, regularly follow the latest issues and science concerning the causes, diagnosis and treatment of trauma to the brain. Not al personal injury attorneys in Florida have the knowledge, skills and resources to properly maximize the damages in a brain injury case.

It’s important to receive proper diagnosis and treatment when suffering from head trauma. Additional impact to the brain can compound the issue, especially when dealing with concussions. Nerve damage in the brain often leads to permanent impairments and neurological disorders, including Alzheimer ’s disease. Taking the necessary steps in dealing with this type of injury is essential to ensure that the dangers of permanent injury are minimized. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury as a result of a car accident or any negligence of another, contact Dolman Law Group at (727) 451-6900 for a free consultation and case evaluation.

Dolman Law Group is a Florida Traumatic Brain Injury law firm in Clearwater, Florida. The head trauma attorneys at Dolman Law Group are well versed in handling claims and cases involving post concussion syndrome, TBI and related neurological difficulties.

Matthew A. Dolman, Esq., is a head trauma attorney in Florida and focuses on civil trial practice and personal injury law. Additionally Matt takes a special interest in claims regarding closed head trauma and TBI as well as victims of drunk driving.

"May Is Motorcycle Safety Month Florida Motorcycle Attorney Discusses Safety on the Roads"

April 30th, 2012

May is national Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and this year’s motto is “Share the road, and look twice for motorcyclists”.  While it may seem silly to dedicate a specific month to an issue that should be considered year-round, May will give motorcyclists the opportunity to try to educate other drivers on the safest ways to share the road.  Well educated drivers will know to use their mirrors to check for motorcycles in adjacent lanes, and to check blind spots before changing lanes.  This one tip alone could save a lot of bikers from tragic injuries but it’s important that drivers are aware of some additional tips for safely sharing the road.  It is our goal to educate drivers statewide to help facilitate motorcycle accidents and injuries in Florida.

Drivers should: always use turn signals to indicate upcoming turns or lane shifts; keep a safe distance (4 or 5 seconds) from riders in front of them; ensure that a motorcyclist is actually going through with a turn that has been or is being signaled before proceeding; and, of course, no driver should ever operate any motor vehicle while distracted. These basic driver tips, if shared with everyone on the road, would go a long way in improving motorcycle safety in Florida across the country…But it doesn’t end there.

We all know that the dangers associated with motorcycle riding increases exponentially as soon as another driver enters the roadway.  But not everyone knows how to ensure that the other driver on the road pays attention to us.  A few safety tips for riders include: Wearing reflective or bright colored clothing while riding; using turn signals and hand signals for all lane changes and turns; positioning yourself in the lane so that the vehicles around you are most likely to see you; and, of course, wearing protective gear such as Kevlar and helmets.

These tips will serve to protect against incompetent and inattentive drivers, but ultimately, we have to rely on them to notice us.  Sometimes that’s just not possible.  Safely sharing the road with motorcyclists is a duty that extends to all drivers.  If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in Florida resulting from the negligence of another driver call Dolman Law Group today at: (727) 451-6900.

Dolman Law Group is a Florida Motorcycle Accident and Injury Law Firm.  The Florida Motorcycle Attorneys at Dolman Law Group are committed to biker safety and securing justice for injured motorcyclists.  We offer a free consultation and case evaluation for all motorcycle injury victims.

Dolman Law Group is your Florida Motorcycle Accident Law Firm

 
Matt Dolman, Esq. has successfully handled in excess of 1000 personal injury claims to date.
 
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