News
By Josh Bland
|
March 30, 2011
The Sports Law Symposium held at Harvard Law School this past weekend brought to light the lack of a systematic legal protocol for sport-induced head injuries at the collegiate level.
Boston lawyer Matt Henshon, a former Princeton basketball player, said he believes this lack may result in legal challenges regarding the liability of injured players.
"[The current protocol is] either school by school or conference by conference," he said, discussing formal regulations regarding concussions.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association advises each school to develop individual strategies for dealing with head injuries.
"Each institution/conference should consult with its own sports medicine staff, legal counsel and athletics staff during the development and implementation of a plan," the NCAA's website says.
Without protocol restricting playing time for brain-injured players, "people are still getting hurt, and it's getting worse," Henshon said.
Most professional organizations such as the NFL have a defined list of protocol for players who suffer head injuries, he said.