$2 Million Dollar High School Head Injury Settlement

In a recent settlement out of Hillsborough County, Florida a high school football player was awarded $2 million dollars from the School Board of Hillsborough County, Florida following a head injury he suffered at football practice. As part of the settlement, the School Board also agreed to adopt the “McNamee Protocol” which requires the school board to provide additional training and instruction to its employees regarding head injuries and how to deal with them should they happen to its students.

The incident occurred when Sean McNamee was warming up for football practice at a high school in Tampa, Florida. During a drill, Sean collided with a teammate and fell to the ground causing his head to strike a piece of equipment used to stripe the fields. Sean was told to go into the locker room to get checked out. There was video surveillance showing Sean going into the trainer’s room holding his head. there was then about 20 minutes worth of video showing the trainer going in and out of the training room. After this, Sean is seen entering the locker room holding a bag of ice. He is then shown walking out of the locker room to his car and leaving school property. After Sean left, the trainer and a football coach are seen on the video going into the training room to locate Sean.

At home, Sean was found by his sister semiconscious and not coherent. He was then taken to the emergency room where it was discovered that he had suffered a brain injury. Emergency surgery was performed, he spent 9 days in a medically induced coma and 2 more weeks in the hospital. Later, a cranioplasty was performed and doctors implanted a titanium plate to cover his skull. His past medical expenses were $250,000.

After the procedure, Sean was left with following residual issues (1) epileptic seizures, (2) headaches, (3) cognitive problems, (4) memory issues. Because of the brain injury, he was not able to pursue a college football career and joining the military. Because of his seizures, he is not able to drive a car.

The lawsuit was filed against the School Board alleging that the coach and staff were negligent in the manner in which they handled Sean’s head injury. It was alleged that emergency medical care should have been provided and Sean should have been taken to the hospital right away. If he had been taken to the hospital right away, it was alleged his brain injury would not have been as serious as it ended up being.

This is a prime example of what we have been talking about for years now. Brain injuries are serious and people dealing with them should take all precautions to make sure they are addressed immediately and with the utmost of care. Catching a brain injury early is important and could save the life of someone. When someone hits their head and experiences symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, slurred speech, trouble forming sentences, etc. you must get them to an emergency room right away!!!

Should you have any questions about head injuries and how they may apply in a personal injury case, please do not hesitate to contact us at 561-266-9191 or by email at daronberg@build.simple.biz.

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