In recent years, there has been increasing awareness of the dangers that professional athletes face due to the high risk of serious brain injury. The risk is heightened if you play a sport with a higher chance of repeated trauma to the head, like in hockey, wrestling, and football for example. The repeated hits to the head suffered by someone who has been playing a particular sport professionally for several years can lead to the development of what is known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which can result in severe disability. If a loved one suffered brain trauma that developed into CTE, speak with a knowledgeable Naperville, IL personal injury attorney with experience in similar cases to understand how to move forward.
What Happens When You Have CTE?
CTE is linked to repeated head trauma, and professional athletes are among the groups with the highest risk of developing it. This disease often gets worse over time and can even lead to dementia. There are four main stages of CTE, with the symptoms associated with these stages generally appearing between eight and ten years after the repetitive brain trauma. The stages are: