South Carolina Passes a Law to Protect Student-Athletes

Coaches in South Carolina schools must now take the possibility of head trauma very seriously. A new law requires an on-site examination for any injury that could be considered a concussion. Players who display any signs of a head injury must be removed from a game immediately.

If a physician, physician’s assistant, nurse practitioner or an athletic trainer evaluates an athlete and finds no symptoms of a concussion, the athlete may return to the game that day. However a student who is found to be at risk of a concussion must have a doctor’s written approval before returning to the team.

In addition, the new law requires school districts to provide a concussion-information form to every coach, volunteer, student-athlete, and parent or guardian of school athletes. Before students can participate in school-based sports, parents or guardians must sign this document.

While it is good news that South Carolina is now recognizing the dangers of concussions in student-athletes, the law lacks an important component that other states include. Mandatory concussion training for coaches, officials and athletic trainers is not mentioned in the South Carolina law.

According to a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Public Health, a little over half the states with youth-concussion laws require some type of training for coaches. A few other states demand that athletic trainers and officials take concussion courses.

South Carolina is now the 49th state to adopt a youth-concussion law. Mississippi is the only state without laws addressing concussions among student-athletes.

Need Legal Help?

A traumatic brain injury can result from any external impact. School sports may cause serious head injury or concussions that may lead to lifelong issues. If you or a loved one has received a traumatic brain injury because of somebody else’s negligence, contact our South Carolina personal injury attorneys at Joye Law Firm. Call (877) 941-2615 or use our online form so our attorneys can offer you advice about your rights.