Brain Injury Insider

Today, we celebrate the 4th of July—a day of fireworks, festivities, and the founding ideals of freedom and independence.

I want to pause, and reflect on what independence really means, especially for survivors of traumatic brain injury.

For many of us, July 4th is about barbeques, family gatherings, and patriotic pride. 

But for millions of Americans living with a brain injury, independence is not a guarantee. 

It’s a daily struggle. A journey. And often, a battle—to reclaim memory, mobility, clarity, or simply the ability to participate in life as they once did.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MySIpjrejQM

Brain Injury Insider is a weekly podcast by The Brain Injury Law Firm ®, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP.

Host Michael Kaplen is a passionate advocate of the rights of brain injury survivors, and has been fighting on their behalf for over 40 years.

De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
228 E. 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10017
Toll Free: (866) 272-4652
e: [email protected]
brainlaw.com

Brain Injury Doesn’t Have an End Date, and Neither Should Federal Funding 

The proposed federal budget request to Congress eliminates federal funding for critical traumatic brain injury research and education programs. 

The proposal includes eliminating funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the umbrella agency responsible for TBI research, including the $8.25 million marked for brain injury research and public education about the dangers of concussions. 

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMP_Nd36ZtM

Brain Injury Insider is a weekly podcast by The Brain Injury Law Firm ®, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP.

Host Michael Kaplen is a passionate advocate of the rights of brain injury survivors, and has been fighting on their behalf for over 40 years.

De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
228 E. 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10017
Toll Free: (866) 272-4652
e: [email protected]
brainlaw.com

Police officers are more than twice as likely to sustain traumatic brain injuries as compared to the general population according to a new study published in the Journal of Head Trauma. 

The study surveyed over 600 police officers in the United Kingdon and found that 38 percent had suffered at least one traumatic brain injury compared to 12 percent of the general population.  This is the largest survey to assess the relationship between TBI and law enforcement personnel. 

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/NBinNDj6KlM

Brain Injury Insider is a weekly podcast by The Brain Injury Law Firm ®, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP.

Host Michael Kaplen is a passionate advocate of the rights of brain injury survivors, and has been fighting on their behalf for over 40 years.

De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
228 E. 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10017
Toll Free: (866) 272-4652
e: [email protected]
brainlaw.com

Visit our new Brain Injury Help hub at https://brainlaw.com/brain-injuries/help/

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/DvmvJxGP69k

How much head trauma is too much? Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center are seeking answers in a groundbreaking new study aimed at identifying the cumulative effects of repetitive head impacts—even those that don’t cause immediate symptoms.

Athletes in contact sports like football and soccer may endure dozens of head hits in a season. Even without a concussion, each hit may contribute to long-term brain damage.

🧠 Key Highlights from the Research:

Special mouthguards worn during games & practice will record the number and force of head impacts.

Blood plasma tests, blink reflex measurements, EEGs, and reaction time analysis will help detect subtle neurological changes.

The goal: Identify biomarkers and neurological patterns that indicate early signs of brain damage—even when athletes feel “fine.”

Led by Dr. Jeffery Bazarian, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Neurology, this multi-university effort could transform how we prevent, diagnose, and treat brain injury—not just in athletes, but also in military service members exposed to repeated head trauma.

📢 This research could help define a critical threshold for brain safety.
💬 Should sports organizations do more to monitor sub-concussive impacts? Let us know in the comments.

👍 Like, Subscribe, and Share to help raise awareness of this important study and its implications for sports safety and public health.

#BrainInjuryAwareness #TBI #FootballInjuries #HeadTrauma #ConcussionResearch #AthleteHealth #Neurology #EEG #SportsMedicine #BrainDamage #YouthSports #SubconcussiveHits #MilitaryBrainInjury #SportsSafety #UniversityOfRochester

Brain Injury Insider is a weekly podcast by The Brain Injury Law Firm ®, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP.

Host Michael Kaplen is a passionate advocate of the rights of brain injury survivors, and has been fighting on their behalf for over 40 years.

De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
228 E. 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10017
Toll Free: (866) 272-4652
e: [email protected]
brainlaw.com

The Harris organization polled over 2,000 American adults on behalf of The Brain Injury Association of America to determine their awareness of brain injury symptoms, causes, and key myths and facts as well as their personal experiences with brain injury. 

Many of the poll’s findings raise significant concerns about public awareness of brain injury and misconceptions which need to be considered and addressed by all professionals who interact with brain injury survivors. 

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/es0dXxlOmd4

Get the facts about brain injury at https://brainlaw.com/tbi-facts/

Brain Injury Insider is a weekly podcast by The Brain Injury Law Firm ®, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP.

Host Michael Kaplen is a passionate advocate of the rights of brain injury survivors, and has been fighting on their behalf for over 40 years.

De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
228 E. 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10017
Toll Free: (866) 272-4652
e: [email protected]
brainlaw.com

March is again designated as Brain Injury Awareness Month. 

Led by the Brain Injury Association of America, this year’s campaign is focused on the individual.    

Dated research reports every year, at least 2.8 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury, and over 5.3 million Americans are living with brain injury-related disabilities.  

The CDC reports that every 9 seconds, someone in the United States will sustain a brain injury.  

A concussion is a brain injury.   

So, these statistics vastly underestimate the number of individuals who sustain brain injury each year and the number of individuals suffering the lifelong consequences of a brain injury.  

This year’s awareness campaign is entitled, My Brain Injury Journey, focusing on significant issues that impact the lives of individuals who have sustained brain damage.   

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/ZgeK_75PFVc

Find out more about brain injury at https://brainlaw.com/brain-injuries/help/

Brain Injury Insider is a weekly podcast by The Brain Injury Law Firm ®, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP.

Host Michael Kaplen is a passionate advocate of the rights of brain injury survivors, and has been fighting on their behalf for over 40 years.

De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
228 E. 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10017
Toll Free: (866) 272-4652
e: [email protected]
brainlaw.com

Brain Injury for Profit is not new, but now there is a new profit-making endeavor to generate brain damage.

What am I talking about?  

It’s called Slap Fighting.  It’s billed as a “sport”. 

It’s a money-making way to cause concussion and brain damage.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/baubMeFnQxs

Find out more about concussion in sports at https://brainlaw.com/brain-injuries/sports-concussions/

Brain Injury Insider is a weekly podcast by The Brain Injury Law Firm ®, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP.

Host Michael Kaplen is a passionate advocate of the rights of brain injury survivors, and has been fighting on their behalf for over 40 years.

De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
228 E. 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10017
Toll Free: (866) 272-4652
e: [email protected]
brainlaw.com

New research from Tuft’s University suggests that concussions and repetitive head trauma may reactive dormant viruses in the brain triggering neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. 

The study examined the Herpes Simplex Virus found in the brains of a high proportion of elderly individuals.  The research found the dormant virus can be reactivated by repetitive head trauma mimicking the forces necessary to generate a concussion.  The brains were then re-examined and found to have markers of neurodegeneration.   

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/1q25DlRgEQU

Brain Injury Insider is a weekly podcast by The Brain Injury Law Firm ®, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP.

Host Michael Kaplen is a passionate advocate of the rights of brain injury survivors, and has been fighting on their behalf for over 40 years.

De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
228 E. 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10017
Toll Free: (866) 272-4652
e: [email protected]
brainlaw.com

Our armed service members will get some more protection under the National Defense Reauthorization Act passed by Congress in the closing days of 2024.

Weapons must be changed to reduce blast exposure to troops operating these weapons and those in close proximity.  Development of future weapon systems must consider brain safety.

Brain injury caused by the sound waves produced during a blast continues to plague our service members.  

Amid a growing body of evidence of injuries and devastating symptoms caused by enemy attacks and from routine military activities, Congress and the Department of Defense need to take brain injury our service members seriously.

The signature wound of military service needs to be addressed. This involves more than weapons change.  It must include proper screening including tracking brain injury health and cognitive issues throughout a member’s career, expanded TBI treatment and follow up programs both before and after discharge.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/GENK1XEaDAY

Find out more about traumatic brain injury in veterans and the US military at https://brainlaw.com/brain-injuries/veterans/

Brain Injury Insider is a weekly podcast by The Brain Injury Law Firm ®, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP.

Host Michael Kaplen is a passionate advocate of the rights of brain injury survivors, and has been fighting on their behalf for over 40 years.

De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
228 E. 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10017
Toll Free: (866) 272-4652
e: [email protected]
brainlaw.com

In this, the last edition of The Brain Injury Insider for 2024, I would like to discuss one of the most difficult issues faced by brain injury survivors and their families.  That issue is medical insurance benefits and the ability to obtain care.

In 2025, we need to ensure adequate insurance coverage following a brain injury is available to brain injury survivors.  

Together we can create a movement to enact meaningful change and meaningful insurance coverage. 

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG3y7S18VwU

Brain Injury Insider is a weekly podcast by The Brain Injury Law Firm ®, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP.

Host Michael Kaplen is a passionate advocate of the rights of brain injury survivors, and has been fighting on their behalf for over 40 years.

De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
228 E. 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10017
Toll Free: (866) 272-4652
e: [email protected]
brainlaw.com