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New Insurance Plan Covers Concussion Tests for Teen Athletes

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

San Francisco 49ers receiver Kyle Williams was a "headhunting" target in the NFC championship game because he has suffered numerous concussions.

With the massive media attention over New York Giants players “headhunting” San Francisco 49ers receiver Kyle Williams because he has suffered multiple concussions, it is welcome news that Sacramento is test-driving a new type of insurance coverage that will pay for high school athletes to be tested for traumatic brain injury.

• The uproar over Kyle Williams being targeted because he has had a number of concussions underscores the risk of brain injury in football.

• Sacramento is testing a new student insurance plan that covers the cost of baseline and subsequent brain function testing for high school athletes.

• All four of the area’s major medical providers are working together to develop a brain-injury prevention protocol that could be a model for the rest of the country.

• A new state law effective on January 1 requires student athletes who may have suffered a concussion to be taken out of the game and sidelined until a medical professional says they have fully recovered.

The uproar over Williams started when Giants’ defender Devin Thomas told the Newark Star-Ledger that the game plan was to hit Williams as often as possible because his previous concussions made him vulnerable.

“He’s had a lot of concussions,” Thomas said. “We were just like, ‘We gotta put a hit on that guy.’ [Reserve safety Tyler] Sash did a great job hitting him early and he looked kind of dazed when he got up. I feel like that made a difference and he coughed it up.”

The NFL ruled that there were no illegal hits, so the team’s plan to target Williams doesn’t matter. Football is a bone-crunching, brain-bashing game — and Americans love it. Our children want to keep playing it, no matter how many future problems it may cause.

Parents and coaches have been scrambling for ways to protect young athletes while still allowing them to play risky sports like football. Toward that end, Sacramento is test-driving a novel new student insurance plan that covers concussion testing for high school athletes, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee. Club teams and youth leagues also may purchase the plan.

The Play it Safe Concussion Care Plan, underwritten by Wells Fargo, will work with the area’s biggest medical providers to develop a brain-injury prevention protocol that could serve as a model for the rest of the country. Every player on a high school team will get a baseline brain function test at the start of the season. During the season, players who sustain a blow to the head will be tested again to see if their brain function has declined in any way.

The computer-based ImPACT test, which is used by both the NFL and the NHL, measures memory and response time down to a hundredth of a second. The Play it Safe plan costs $350 for an entire team, up to 117 players, plus about $2 apiece for the baseline test. Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, Mercy, and U.C. Davis Medical Center have sent staff to special training, the Bee said.

“The key to all this is that (the athletes) don’t return too early,” said Roger Blake, associate executive director of the California Interscholastic Federation. “I may look perfect, but that doesn’t mean my brain has recovered totally.”

A new California law, which went into effect on January 1, requires schools to sideline student athletes if they may have a concussion. Under the law, those athletes are not allowed to return to play until they’ve been cleared by a medical professional.

California Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented traumatic brain injury victims for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: Blackman Legal Group, brain injury, California brain injury lawyers, Clifford Blackman, concussion, football, traumatic brain inury
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Fairfield: 4 Hospitalized, 1 Arrested in DUI Crash Near I-680

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

A 20-year-old man was arrested Tuesday in Fairfield after a drunk driving accident that resulted in all four of his passengers being hospitalized. Three of them suffered major injuries.

• Five people, all under age 21, were traveling in a speeding car. The driver was drunk and crashed the car into a tree at 80 mph.

• All four passengers were hospitalized, three with major injuries. One of them suffered severe head injuries and was airlifted via helicopter to a Level II trauma center.

• The driver was cleared by an emergency room doctor and then arrested on felony drunk driving charges.

The solo-vehicle accident occurred at 1:19 p.m., according to a report in the Vacaville Reporter.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Hekker said Fairfield resident Victor Alde was driving about 80 mph in a 65 mph zone when he crashed his 2008 Dodge Charger into a tree on Ramsey Road, off Interstate 680.

Alde and four friends had been drinking at a friend’s home. They had driven to a gas station on Lopes Road and were returning back to their friend’s house when the accident happened, Hekker said. Alde was speeding on a straight stretch of Ramsey Road when his car suddenly veered off the road near Gold Hill Road.

The car plowed through nearly 100 feet of fencing before it crashed head-on into a tree.

There were four passengers in the car, all of them airfield residents. Sukhpreet Singh, age 20, was sitting in the middle of the back seat and was not wearing a seat belt. He was thrown into the front seat and then through the windshield. He suffered major head injuries and was airlifted via helicopter to John Muir Medical Center, a Level II trauma center in Walnut Creek.

Michael Valdueza and Timothy Beaver, both age 20, also were sitting in the back seat. Valdueza suffered major injuries to his face and chest. Beaver suffered major hip injuries and lacerations on his hands. Both victims were taken by ground ambulance to North Bay Medical Center in Fairfield.

Christopher Valdueza, age 19, was sitting in the front seat with Alde. He suffered back and neck injuries that Hekker described as moderate. He also was taken by round ambulance to North Bay Medical Center.

CHP officers took Alde to North Bay Medical Center to be examined by a doctor. Alde was cleared and released to police custody. He was then arrested and booked into Solano County Jail. He was charged with felony driving under the influence resulting in major injury, Hekker said.

Fairfield Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented drunk driving accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: auto accident, back injury, Blackman Legal Group, brain injury, California, California accident lawyers, car accident, car accident lawyer, Clifford Blackman, driving under the influence, drunk driving, drunk driving accidents, DUI crash, neck injury
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Dixon: Head Injury Kills Bicyclist Struck by Car on Highway 113

Monday, September 26th, 2011

A bicyclist suffered a fatal head injury after he was hit by a car in Dixon. (Photo: Dixon Patch)

A bicyclist died Sunday afternoon after he was struck by a car on Highway 113 in Dixon. His helmet broke and he suffered a fatal head injury.

• A bicyclist — who was wearing a helmet and a bright green visibility vest — was riding on the side of Highway 113 to the right of the fog line when he was struck from behind by a car driving at full speed.

• The impact threw the cyclist off his bike and onto the windshield of the car.

• The cyclist’s helmet broke. He suffered a fatal head injury and died at the scene.

The fatal bicycle accident occurred at around 2 p.m., according to a report in the Vacaville Reporter.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Hekker said the 57-year-old cyclist — later idenitfied as Ryde resident Robert White – was riding his yellow bicycle northbound on Highway 113 at the time of the deadly collision.

White was wearing a helmet and a lime-green mesh visibility vest. Witnesses said he was riding on the white fog line on the right side of the lane, where bicyclists are supposed to be.

Just north of Cook Lane, a white 2003 Hyundai Tiburon — driven by 21-year-old Orange resident Taylor Boe — struck the White from behind. The force of impact knocked the cyclist off of his mountain bike and onto the windshield of the Hyundai.

White’s helmet broke and he sustained severe head trauma, Dixon firefighter Jarrod Infante told the Dixon Patch news site. Paramedics pronounced the cyclist dead at the scene.

Witnesses told the CHP that Boe was driving at or just above the speed limit of 55 miles per hour when he hit White from behind. Hekker said Boe is not suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A toxicology test was ordered on the victim. Results will determine if the cyclist may have been under the influence, although that is not suspected at this time.

The accident is under investigation. Hekker said CHP officers still need to talk to a more witnesses before determining the cause. Anyone who witnessed this accident is urged to contact the CHP at 707-428 2100.

Bicycle Accident Statistics

More than 51,000 bicyclists were injured in collisions with motor vehicles on U.S. roads in 2009, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Another 630 were killed. Those numbers are 12 percent lower than in 2008, but the statistics are still cause for concern.

The vast majority (70 percent) of bicycle fatalities in 2009 occurred in urban areas, which is understandable considering the volume of traffic. Most of the fatalities did not occur at intersections.

Almost three-fourths (72 percent) of the cyclists were killed during the day, between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Here are more photos from the accident scene. Click on the thumbnail to see it full-size.

Dixon Bicycle Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have been representing bicycle accident victims and their families for more than 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: bicycle accident, bicycle accident attorneys, bicycle fatality, Blackman Legal Group, fatal accident, fatal crash, fatal head injury, highway crash
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Half Moon Bay: Alcohol Likely Involved in Fatal Rollover Crash

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Authorities believe alcohol was a probably a factor in a single-vehicle car accident that killed a woman Monday afternoon when her car flipped over near Half Moon Bay.

• A 54-year-old woman left a friend’s house in a small sports car and never made it home.

• The car veered to the right, and then the woman overcorrected to the left and lost control of the car.

• The car went off the road, flipped over, and landed upside down. The woman suffered a severe head injury and died at the scene.

• Police believe alcohol was a factor.

The fatal rollover crash occurred shortly after 3 p.m., according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News.

California Highway Patrol officer Art Montiel said 54-year-old Gail A. Burnett, a resident of Half Moon Bay, was driving her 1971 MG convertible home from a friend’s house at the time of the crash.

Burnett was supposed to meet another friend, according to a report in the Half Moon Bay Review. But she never arrived.

She was driving northbound on Verde Road — a rural road east of coastal Highway 1 – when her car drifted to the right. Police believe she overcorrected to the left and lost control of the vehicle. The car went off of the road and then rolled over, landing upside down, Monteil said.

When Burnett didn’t arrive home, her friend who was waiting for her started walking down Verde Road to see what had happened. The friend discovered the crash scene south of Purisma Creek immediately called 911 for help.

Burnett suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

Police said alcohol appeared to be a factor in the fatal accident, but they could not make a definite determination until the results of toxicology tests were released.

Monteil said the victim was wearing a seat belt.

Drunk Driving Statistics

Every 48 minutes someone in the United States dies in a motor vehicle accident that involves an alcohol-impaired driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Motorcyclists, people under 25, and drivers with prior DUI convictions are at greatest risk.

Here are the CDC’s numbers to show how big the problem really is:

In 2009, 10,839 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for a third (32 percent) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
Among the 1,314 traffic-related deaths among children (under age 14), 181 involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
Half of those 181 children who died in alcohol-related accidents were riding in the vehicle with the drunk driver.
In 2009, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That’s less than one percent of the 147 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.
Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18 percent of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are often used in combination with alcohol.

It is never safe to drink and drive.

Half Moon Bay Car Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for more than 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: auto accident, Blackman Legal Group, driving under the influence, drunk driving accident, fatal accident, fatal car crash, fatal crash, fatal head injury, fatal injury, fatal rollover crash, head injury
Posted in auto accident, brain injury, car accident fatality, drinking and driving, driving under the influence, fatal crash, fatal injuries, head injury | No Comments »

Vacaville Car Accident Lawyers | Mom, 2 Kids Badly Hurt in I-80 Pileup

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

A mother and her two children suffered major injuries in a chain-reaction car accident on I-80 in Vacaville. (Photo: Vacaville Reporter)

A reckless driver caused a chain-reaction car accident Monday on Interstate 80 in Vacaville. It resulted in major injuries to a mother and her two children.

• Several motorists called 911 to report that a reckless driver was reaching speeds over 100 mph on the freeway.

• Moments later, the driver rear-ended a car and caused a chain-reaction accident involving four vehicles.

• One of the vehicles was a minivan that flipped over and landed on its roof.

• The minivan driver suffered critical head injuries. Her two teenage children also were seriously injured.

The freeway crash occurred at about 8:20 p.m., according to an article in the Vacaville Reporter.

California Highway Patrol officer Julie Saraiva said witnesses called 911 right before the crash to report that 36-year-old Fredy Herrera of San Leandro was driving his black 2004 Acura recklessly on westbound I-80 near Vacaville. They said he was speeding up to 120 mph.

Just before the Interstate 505 onramp, Herrera rear-ended a silver Honda CR-V driven by Greyson Lanzarotta of Santa Cruz. The impact sent the CR-V out of control. It eventually crashed into a guard rail.

One of the two vehicles crashed into a blue Dodge minivan driven by 42-year-old Kelly Myers. The impact force the minivan into a vehicle that was parked in a Caltrans construction area in the far-left lane, Saraiva said. The minivan flipped over and landed on its roof, while the other vehicle was slammed into a guard rail.

Myers, whose city of residence was not released, suffered severe head injuries and was airlifted to U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. She remains in critical condition, the Reporter stated in a later update.

Her 14-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter, whose names were not released because they are minors, both suffered moderate injuries and were taken to VacaValley Hospital to be treated. The extent of their injuries was not released, but authorities said one may have suffered a broken jaw.

Lanzarotta sustained minor injuries. He was treated at the scene. Herrera said he was not hurt in the accident.

The accident is still under investigation.

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for more than 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: aggressive driving, auto accident, Blackman Legal Group, car accident lawyer, freeway crash, head injury, highway crash, reckless driving
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