Chicago Injury Blog

As you know, Romanucci & Blandin, LLC has been very active and supportive of our troops in Irag. We have also been very sensitive to the issues effecting our troops. One of them being the VA's denial of treating non contact traumatic brain injuries. Currently, the VA's standard to treat TBI's has been only if there has been a contact with the head. Clearly, this logic is flawed since TBI can be caused by blast injuries through the "wave" concussion. The Chicago Tribune recently reported as follows:

Illinois veterans who have brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder now have access to an array of screening and counseling services, state officials announced Tuesday.

The Illinois Warrior Assistance Program, the first of its kind in the United States, was launched Tuesday by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and several other state and health organizations.

It provides a 24-hour toll-free help line for veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder, free phone screening for traumatic brain injury for all Illinois veterans and mandatory brain-injury screening for members of the Illinois National Guard returning from overseas.

An Army report released Jan. 17 found that as much as 20 percent of soldiers sustain at least a mild traumatic brain injury while deployed.

The new program's confidential help line can be reached at 866-554-IWAP, and more information can be found at http://www.illinoiswarrior.com .

Posted by Romanucci & Blandin | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Traumatic Brain Injury

Bookmark:

Concussions are on the rise among high school athletes and girls are especially vulnerable to the injury, which can cause serious damage as reported by the Chicago Sun Times.

Research to be published next month in the Journal of Athletic Training suggests that unlike other sports-related injuries, concussions are on the rise among high school athletes. Girls appear to be especially vulnerable, logging higher concussion rates than boys in sports played by both sexes.

Researchers at Ohio State and Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, analyzed injuries among U.S. high school athletes participating in nine sports: boys' football, soccer, basketball, baseball and wrestling, and girls' soccer, basketball, volleyball and softball. They estimate that in the 2005-06 academic year, high school athletes suffered 135,901 concussions -- or 9 percent of all sports-related injuries

Continue reading "Traumatic Brain Injury and High School Athletes" »

Posted by Romanucci & Blandin | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Traumatic Brain Injury

Bookmark:

Romanucci & Blandin continues to fight for the causes of those who have been afflicted with traumatic brain injury. To that effect, Tom Young, my good friend from Florida and the founder of InjuryBoard, has produced videos to further educate the public on issues such as traumatic brain injury, civil rights and the importance of a democratic society. Antonio Romanucci was a featured speaker on the topic of brain injury. Please take a moment to view these productions and learn a little bit more how important it is to support the right candidates for the right causes.

Please click on the link above and also play on the video below to learn more about traumatic brain injury.

Posted by Romanucci & Blandin | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Traumatic Brain Injury

Bookmark:

For those who know our firm, you are aware that community safety in the Chicago area is always one of our priorities. When one of my son's friends was seriously injured in a little league baseball game on opening day this spring, I knew that someone had to do something. Fortunately, the boy's mom has been very successful at advocating for wooden bats to replace metal bats. Her article ""Metal Bats Strike out with Barrington Parents" highlights the inherent dangers of metal bats.

What follows is my letter to the editors of all of the major publications in Chicago. The letter was published my over 50 community newspapers. Word has spread and our fight will continue on to the Illinois legislature.

Until a few months ago, I had very little interest in metal baseball bats. Then I learned firsthand about the serious safety threat they pose.

As a personal injury attorney who has witnessed one too many times the devastating impact that sports equipment can have, I am writing to make your readers aware of the imminent danger of metal bats.

On opening day of baseball season, the 14-year-old son of a close friend was seriously injured while pitching during a Pony League game. A line drive hit by a metal bat struck him directly in the face, destroying his orbital lob and nose and requiring plastic surgery to repair. He will never look quite the same.

New York City has banned their use for 13-18 year-olds as of September 2007. North Dakota has banned them, and numerous other leagues and organizations across the U.S. have banned them or are considering doing so. The Illinois High School Association currently has five conferences that use only wood bats because of the growing safety concerns about metal bats. Jack Mackay, a former metal bat engineer for Louisville Slugger, has been an outspoken advocate against the use of metal bats.

I urge all local baseball leagues to ban the use of metal bats for the sake of our children and our communities. It would be a shame if this becomes a legislative issue when local leagues could so easily resolve the problem.

Posted by Romanucci & Blandin | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Traumatic Brain Injury

Bookmark: