American football—for athletes and fans–is not just a game but a way of life. However, many aren’t aware that it’s not all fame and glory. The NFL in particular has long been blamed for glossing over serious injuries, especially brain injuries.
A recent study linked football to dangerous head injuries. When scientists conducted autopsies on 202 deceased football players, 99% of NFL players were found to have suffered a type of brain damage called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). (more…)
Ex-NFL Player Accused of Beating Girlfriend Faces Civil Trial
Photo: WUSA 9
A civil trial is set to begin this May for a former Washington Redskins player accused of brutally beating and choking his girlfriend during a heated argument in the early morning hours of January 2, 2015. Curtis Jordan was charged with maliciously wounding Alexandra Dale a few weeks after the incident. Although Jordan was arrested, he was quickly released on bond.
Criminal trial defense attorneys contend that it was Jordan’s ex-girlfriend who first attacked Jordan and posed a threat to their client. The criminal case has remained on hold as the trial has been repeatedly postponed. After over three years, it is finally moving forward.
Jordan and Dale had dated for about two years. According to the civil lawsuit, the couple spent New Year’s Day together before returning to Dale’s house after midnight where they got into an argument. (more…)
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) impact a substantial number of individuals, contributing to about 30% of all deaths in the United States. For Traumatic Brain Injury survivors, day-to-day life can feel isolated. TBI survivors often face challenges with communication, which can lead to confusion and misunderstandings.
Because the injury is highly misunderstood by the public, TBI survivors sometimes feel detached from the rest of society. However, one art initiative plans to bridge the gap between TBI survivors and their communities. (more…)
March marks Brain Injury Awareness Month, when survivors and advocates of traumatic brain injuries unite to spread awareness about the “invisible” injury. Each year, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) selects a theme designed to help educate the public on the matter. This year’s campaign is called “Change Your Mind.”
Get Involved: Virtual Brain Injury Awareness Day is February 13th, 2018
Dealing with a life-long injury can feel overwhelming. If this describes you or a loved one, you’re not alone.
Traumatic brain injuries affect more than just the lives of victims. Friends, family members, caretakers and survivors alike know how devastating a brain injury can be. That’s why The Brain Injury Association of Virginia is taking a stand to advocate for those living with the “invisible injury.”
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Nearly 21 percent of all car accidents involve a drowsy driver. Adults should be getting seven to eight full hours of sleep every night, yet many people suffer from stress, insomnia, or bad habits that prevent them from getting a full night’s rest. Driving while drowsy does more than make you yawn. By making sleep a priority, you can prevent accidents that could change your life forever. (more…)
A prominent orthopedic surgeon from Virginia Beach, Virginia was attacked in her home on the morning of January 2, 2015. The surgeon’s name, Jamie Alexandra Dale.
Her attacker: Former Washington Redskin’s safety, Curtis Jordan (pictured).
Ms. Dale’s injuries were caused by repeated slams of her head into the floor, an addition to physical injuries to her back, legs, and other areas of her body. Dale was able to get herself to her bedroom and away from Jordan, where she went in and out of consciousness. While this happening, Jordan made an effort to clean the area where the assault happened, and grabbed his belongings then left the scene.
Ms. Dale’s neighbors became suspicious and came into her home, finding her in a bedroom and called 911 resulting in immediate hospitalization. Within the lawsuit filed by our firm on Ms. Dale’s behalf, both EMS and police noted blood on the carpet in the bedroom and hallway, as well as the door frame, stairs, and our client’s bedding.
Lead trial lawyer of the Brain Injury Law Center, Stephen Smith stated: “Dr. Jamie Dale needs closure to know that Curtis Jordan is off the streets and in prison for what he did. (more…)
Concussion and traumatic brain injury have always been a part of professional sports, but it’s only in recent years that awareness and activism has grown up around the issue. Jessie Riley, our Teach Believe Inspire award winner for January, has experience on both sides of history. Keep reading for her reflections on life as an athlete before TBI awareness, her excitement for the future of her company Kitanie, and the epiphany she experienced from a simple coloring book.
What do you remember about the aftermath of your first concussion? Did your family or coaches express any concern when you immediately got back on the ice?
I don’t remember the accident, or hitting the wall. I just remember stepping on a block coming out of the turn at full speed and then waking up with my coach looking down at me lying on the ice. He helped me up, but it was all a blur because I was so dizzy. I went back to the Olympic Training Center, but when I saw the trainers, there was never any mention of concussion or even neck injury. They just told me to rest. I remember my coach had to drive me home because I was too dizzy to function. But that was it. No tests were done. No x-rays. I completed in the US Olympic Trials two weeks later and came in 12th place. The top 6 made the Olympic team. (more…)
In 1998, competitive ice skater Jessie Riley was coming out of a return, bent on improving her speed in hopes of qualifying for the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. Maybe her focus was too strong; maybe her goal had given her tunnel vision. Whatever the reason, the skater’s next move—one she had made hundreds of times before during training—went awry. Moving at a speed of 30 mph, Jessie Riley skidded and slammed head-first into the wall of the rink.
Everything after that was blackness.
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It shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it was. Audiences at least year’s Women’s World Cup semifinals were paralyzed in shock as they watched medics rush to the rescue of Morgan Brian and Alexandra Popp. The two opposing players illustrated, in real time, the dangers of soccer head trauma.
Just seconds before, Germany’s women’s team had a free kick. Morgan Brian, a defender for the United States, jumped up to “head” the ball. Unfortunately, Alexandra Popp made the same move, only a split-second later. As the ball bounced effortlessly off Brian’s forehead, her skull descended backward, and cracked unexpectedly against Popp’s forehead. The force couldn’t have been any greater if they had actually been trying to assault one another.
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