Two Boys Hospitalized after Sledding Accidents
Last week, a seven-year-old boy was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center after he was involved in a sledding accident. According to the police, the accident involved a sled that was attached to an ATV in Cedar Hill when the boy was thrown from the sled at a high rate of speed. It was the first of two sledding accidents within a week where a child had to be airlifted to Nashville because of the seriousness of the injuries.
The other sledding accident happened recently in Robertson County at around 2:15 p.m. A 15-year-old boy was seriously injured when the sled he was riding impacted a tree. The call made to 911 stated that the injury was a head trauma, but it could have also been a spinal injury. According to the Robertson County Emergency Management Agency, the hill was about 80 yards long and about 45 degrees steep. As a result, the snow was very hard and slick, and it all worked together to propel the boy down the hill very fast.
While these two accidents are the only sledding injuries that required airlifting to a Nashville hospital, other injuries from sledding accidents have been reported this winter in and around the city. Officials warn families to be careful while sledding and to avoid attaching sleds to ATVs and other recreational vehicles.
Head Trauma and Traumatic Brain Injury
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2010 over 2.5 million people in the United States suffered from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This type of injury is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. About 30 percent of all injury deaths in the United States are attributed to TBI.
TBI injuries can range from mild, with a brief change in mental status or consciousness, all the way to severe, with an extended period of unconsciousness or memory loss after the injury. From 2001 to 2009, the rate of emergency room visits for sports and recreation-related injuries with a diagnosis of concussion or TBI rose 57 percent among children ages 19 or younger. Furthermore, in 2009 alone, an estimated 248,418 children in the same age group were treated in emergency room departments for sports and recreation-related injuries that included a diagnosis of concussion or TBI.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer
While sledding can be one of the most fun activities for children during the winter, it also has the potential to cause serious injuries. This is especially true when the sled is attached to an ATV or the conditions are particularly dangerous. If you or someone that you know has been injured in a sledding accident around the Nashville area, let the experienced personal injury lawyers at Calhoun Law, PLC help. Call or contact the office today for a free and private review of your claims.