Citation

Freckelton I. J. Law Med. 2023; 30(1): 7-22.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Thompson - LBC Information Services)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

37271948

Abstract

Deaths of participants in sport from the effects of concussive injuries and from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) raise confronting social issues and challenges for tort law. An uncertainty that often needs to be addressed in such cases is proof of the causes of the former athlete's symptomatology, especially when they may be multifactorial, some or all of which were not directly related to sport. Accounts from the person prior to their death and from family members can be vital sources of such information. Coroners' analyses of evidence in concussion-related deaths constitute an important opportunity for perspectives which can form a sound empirical basis for changes to sporting practices, rules and administration. This editorial reviews a series of biographical and autobiographical accounts of sportspersons with concussion and CTE. It also identifies a corpus of coronial decisions from England, New Zealand, Canada and Australia which have addressed the risks posed to athletes from concussive injuries. It highlights recommendations made by coroners in relation to management of concussion in sport and argues that there is considerable scope for further valuable recommendations based upon their investigations during inquests.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Public Health; Coroners and Medical Examiners; Health Care Reform; concussion; soccer; *Brain Concussion/etiology; *Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy/complications; chronic traumatic encephalopathy; Coroners; cricket; dementia pugilistica; early onset dementia; forensic pathology; hockey; inquests; motor sports; rugby