Although a new technology has the possibility of saving lives of players suffering head trauma, only two teams in the league are using it.
The CereTom, a portable, cordless scanner that can send its information to radiologists worldwide, can determine the extent of brain injury suffered by a player from a hit on the field. This technology is available at a time when the NFL is seriously reconsidering the way it deals with head trauma. After allegations by New England linebacker Ted Johnson during Super Bowl week that the had been forced to play through head trauma and recent studies showing that players who suffer from concussions are more likely to suffer dementia, the league is trying to determine how to respond to the issue.
“Medical decisions must always take priority over competitive concerns,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he initiated a new program of testing players to establish a baseline of brain activity that can be used as a comparison for tests before a player is sent back to the field.
In the past, the league has always promoted an ethic of get back on the field. Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi thinks this should change. He said, “Sometimes, you gotta be tough. You have to get in there, strap it up and just go. If you’ve got a bent finger, a hyperextended elbow, tape it up and get back in there. But there are certain things I hope people would differentiate about, to say, ‘Hey, I need to slow it down right now.'”
But one wonders whether this isn’t all just talk, if the league is unwilling to invest in a tool that can help make exactly the diagnoses they’re talking about. One must be especially concerned after the crippling spinal injury suffered by Kevin Everett whether professional football is a team sport or a bloodsport.
Don’t be fooled by talk. If you’ve suffered a misdiagnosis because of lacking equipment, or a surgical error because your doctor didn’t take all the promised precautions, you must act to set things right. Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at G Eric Nielson and Associates, making doctors put their money where their mouth is in Salt Lake City and surrounding parts of Utah.
