New helmets can lessen chances of brain injury for athletes

There has been a lot of media coverage on sports injuries in recent months—specifically concussions and other brain injuries. A number of professional and collegiate athletes have filed lawsuits claiming that more should have been done both on and off the field to protect them from traumatic brain injury during the course of their play. A Swedish company recognized the need to better protect athletes and developed a ski helmet to do just that.

The technology used to design and manufacture the ski helmet that made its debut during the World Championship will soon be seen in a variety of other sports as well. A handful of reputable athletic gear companies have adopted the technology that lessens the chances of players suffering a serious brain injury by as much as 40 percent. Select football players, hockey players, cyclists and motocross racers will all be wearing helmets in 2014 that are modeled after that revolutionary ski helmet. Based on findings from 15 years of research, each helmet features three layers: an inner liner, a low-friction filling and an outer shell. The material between the inner liner and the outer shell can move around, which, in turn, reduces the amount of force that passes through the helmet to the wearer’s head.

We encourage our readers in Pittsburgh who frequently participate in contact sports or extreme activities to wear a quality helmet designed to lessen the chances of a traumatic brain injury. Still, there may be circumstances that are out of your control that increase the severity of brain trauma and leave your permanently disabled. In this case, you may want to speak with an attorney regarding legal recourse for another’s negligence.

Source: Outside Online, “The Top 8 Fitness Trends of 2014,” Erin Beresini, Dec. 23, 2013