Bike safety event highlights serious issue

Lackawanna County to hold a helmet giveaway at PNC park to promote bike safety

As warmer weather comes our way, lots of people are pulling their bicycles and motorcycles out of the garage and taking to the roads.  Soon, the streets and parks will be full of children and adults on their bikes.

Saturday, April 25, Lackawanna County commissioners will hold their third annual bicycle safety fair and helmet giveaway at PNC Park in Moosic, PA. The event will include free food, safety presentations by the Scranton Police Department, a bike rodeo and three-hundred free bike helmets for kids in attendance.  There will also be a drawing for a free bicycle. This event is a great opportunity for families to enjoy the spring weather and for kids to learn how to stay safe. Bike-riding can be a fun way for children to stay active during the spring and summer months, […]

The dangerous mistake people make at railroad crossings

Train and railroad crossing accidents are a matter of rising concern. A Metro North crash in New York on February 3rd left six dead, and at least twelve people injured. It was the deadliest crash in the rail’s history.  An SUV became stuck on the train tracks, and the resulting crash killed the driver and five train passengers.

Just a few weeks later on February 24, a commuter train in southern California derailed when it collided with a pickup truck and trailer. The truck caught fire, three train cars toppled over, a fourth derailed but remained upright.

Then, on March 30, a local man was accidentally killed by a train in Clinton County, PA. Police say he was wearing ear buds at the time and likely didn’t hear the train coming.

“Over 2,000 grade-crossing accidents every year, and there are about 250 fatalities, […]

Concussion Lawsuit Against NHL Gains Momentum

We’ve already heard a lot about the lawsuit against the NFL filed by thousands of former players and their families who have suffered due to football-related head injuries. A growing body of evidence links traumatic brain injuries (such as those sustained by athletes) to serious long-term effects, drug use, depression, and suicide.

It should come as no surprise that a similar class-action lawsuit against the National Hockey League is gaining momentum. In recent weeks, the number of former players involved in the suit has nearly doubled. Earlier this week, Steve Montador, an NHL retiree with a history of concussions was found dead at the age of 35. It was a concussion that ended Montador’s career in 2012, and he admitted to struggling with depression the following year.

There are several blogs and papers online that explain what many people do not realize about head injuries. […]

After the Super Bowl: Stats say we love football, as long as our kids aren’t playing

Super Bowl Sunday, more than any other day of the year, reminds us just how much a part of our culture football is. Whether you’re a die-hard fan, or just there for the food and friends, millions of Americans tuned in to see the big game last night. Super Bowl XLIX was the highest rated game in Super Bowl history, and the highest-rated television event of the year.

So, then, what are we to do with the increasing number of studies linking football to concussions and lasting brain damage? A recent Bloomberg poll reported nearly half of American parents don’t want their sons playing football. A study by Robert Morris University indicates that most parents don’t want their children to play football before high school.    Another recent study published in the New York Times found that retired players who began playing before the age of 12  had a higher risk for mental problems later in life. […]

Game changer: player’s tragic death highlights concussion problem

As you may have heard by now, on Sunday, November 30,  22-year-old Ohio State University football player Kosta Karageorge was found dead in a dumpster in Columbus, OH, as the result of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Preceding his death, he sent his mother some troubling text messages, apologizing, and saying that his concussions had “messed up” his head.

Throughout his athletic career in football and wrestling, Karageorge suffered multiple concussions, the most recent of which occurred just weeks before his death. As we have observed earlier this year, it turns out that concussions are not uncommon for athletes at the professional, college, and high school levels. In fact, it has been described as an “epidemic.” It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of student athletes suffer from concussions each year, and many more likely go unreported and untreated. […]