Help for children, youth and teenagers suffering from concussion and mild traumatic brain injury following a car accident just got easier.  Concussion guidelines have been established for every adolescent aged 5 to 18 years who have or may have sustained concussions. Ontario is now ahead of British Columbia, including ICBC, in providing guidelines for managing and diagnosing concussion in children and are now becoming globally leaders in the field.
Dr. R.O.Holness, Neurosurgeon,  explained in a recent exclusive interview for  Holness Law Group that some of the important risks of overlooking a concussion and MTBI in youth and teenagers are:

“i) Return to sport too early especially to a sport that has a high risk of a 2nd concussion. This can have a serious consequence if the child suffers another head injury even a minor one…effects of concussions tend to be cumulative as seen in boxers (hence the importance of following guidelines re return to sport); and

ii) Academic pressure and stress on timelines etc. maybe inappropriate and worsen the symptoms,delay the recovery if child is in the 10-25% who have  delayed improvement… hence the importance of recognizing the emotional /mental aspects of the symptomatology.”

Personal injury lawyers representing teenagers and youth should ensure family physicians, neuropsychologists, occupational and physical therapists, and other experts  involved in the management of concussion and mild traumatic brain injury are aware of these guideline resources. Several diagnostic tools can be made available to experts to ensure that symptoms of concussion are not overlooked and are properly managed in personal injury ICBC claims. Parents, caregivers, schools, and community sports organizations will find the guidelines helpful in identifying symptoms of concussion and managing recovery at home, school and play.
Personal injury lawyers dealing with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, ICBC, will likely find the resulting assessments and reports helpful in analyzing legal causation, cost of future care, loss of earning capacity and the like. Early management and documentation of concussion and MTBI will allow cutting edge treatment to have maximum effect on children while allowing lawyers to provide the court with an evidence based understanding of the injury.
Posted by Vancouver Personal Injury Lawyer Mr. Renn A. Holness, B.A. LL.B.

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