Summer will be here before you know it and with it will come all your kids’ sports. Sports are a great way to keep your kids active during the summer, but it is important to keep them as safe as possible. Why is this such a concern? Because more than 20% of all traumatic brain injuries experienced by children are the result of sports accidents.
If your child is going to be playing sports this summer then we recommend they follow these tips. If they are injured, make sure you get them to a doctor as soon as possible. Then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
Choose the Right Equipment
Make sure that your child is always wearing the appropriate protective gear. What this means will depend on the particular sport they are playing. For example, helmets and mouth guards may be necessary, or knee pads. Make sure that whatever gear they are wearing fits them properly. A helmet should be comfortable yet snug and should not move more than an inch in any direction. Mouthguards should provide at least 4mm of protective material to cover the front teeth.
Make Sure Your Kids Know What to Do
Most games that kids take part in are relatively safe if everyone is sticking to the rules. It is when someone makes a dangerous play or does something out of the ordinary that injuries are most likely to occur. The best way to protect your child against this is to ensure that they know the rules of the game.
Discuss Your Concerns with the Coach
Communicate with your child’s coach and make sure they are familiar with the most common symptoms of a brain injury. If they do not know how to spot a brain injury then they will not know when to take your child out of the game and they will not know when it is time to take your child to get emergency medical care. Make sure there is a procedure in place to deal with players who have suffered concussions.
Talk to Your Kids About Head Injuries
Just as it is important that your child’s coach knows what to look for in a head injury, your child should know too. Talk to them about how injuries are sustained, how helmets can protect them, and what the most common symptoms are of head injuries. Tell them to talk to an adult right away if they ever experience symptoms of a head injury.
Nothing Can Alleviate All Danger on the Field
While the above steps can help reduce the chances that your child is injured while playing sports, there is no way to protect everyone all the time. If you or your child is injured this summer, and that injury is the result of another party acting recklessly or negligently, then it is worth talking to a personal injury attorney. You can reach Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
