Joseph M. Hanna, chair of Goldberg Segalla’s Sports and Entertainment Practice Group and editor of the firm’s Sports and Entertainment Law Insider blog, was interviewed by Washington Lawyer on the issue of concussions in sports. The article looked at the recent lawsuit against the National Football League filed by thousands of former players, and at the increased awareness of the health and safety risks involved.

Joe noted that he’s seen a marked shift in the way sports are being played, even at the amateur level. As the article explained, many states have enacted youth concussion safety laws requiring the removal of athletes from games if it is suspected that they suffered a concussion.

“Obviously, there is a focus on concussions and the effects they have on athletes,” he said. “This is a major wake-up call.”

Joe has written extensively on the NFL concussion litigation, most recently in “Concussions May Prove to Be a Major Headache for the NFL: Players’ Class Action Suit Places a Bounty on the League,” New York State Bar Association Journal, October 2012.