Concussions and Youth Sports: Can the law help prevent injury?

Presenters - click here for more information
     Kerri McGowan Lowrey, J.D., M.P.H.
     Daniel G. Larriviere, M.D., J.D.
     Hosea H. Harvey, Ph.D., J.D.

Every year, almost half a million children visit emergency departments for head injuries, many of which are due to sports-related concussions. Concussion is a complex and serious brain injury resulting from trauma to the head. In the late 1990s, national sports leagues began instituting concussion policies for testing, treatment, and return to play. Now, NHL, MLB, and MLS, players are subject to these rules.  However many schools and local youth sports organizations haven’t followed suit. What legal interventions are appropriate at this level to address the problem of sports-related concussions?

This webinar addressed the physiology of concussions in young athletes, focusing on the particular features of this injury that make it difficult to diagnose and that pose unique challenges for treatment and recovery. Various legislative approaches to addressing concussions in youth sports were discussed, including ethical and legal implications in implementation of such laws in rural and poorer communities. Additionally, this webinar  explored other plausible legal innovations to address the problem of sports-related concussions, and discussed gaps in current understanding of how law can help reduce harms associated with these injuries.

The PHL Webinar Series is presented in Partnership by: American Society of Law Medicine and Ethics (ASLME); Public Health Law Association (PHLA); Public Health Law Network; and PHLR.

The webinar recording is now available online.