On Sunday, August 18th, NFL sideline reporter Pam Oliver was hit by a pass thrown by the Colt’s backup Quarterback, Chandler Harnish. The football struck her flush in the side of the face, and although Oliver initially refused to discuss the hit, she is now speaking out regarding the incident, and the days following.
“Now I want to get it out there. It was a painful, shocking moment…I didn’t really know what happened,” said Oliver.
Although adrenaline got Oliver through the broadcast, it was not until after the the cameras stopped rolling that she began showing the warning signs of head trauma. When she arrived back at the hotel, her headache turned from a small annoyance to a pounding concern. The next morning Oliver continued to experience symptoms relating to the hit. She was sensitive to light, nauseous, and was experiencing pain throughout her body. After a visit to her doctor, she was diagnosed with a concussion.
Oliver has reflected on her situation, and as a reporter in a league under recent scrutiny for concussion-related issues, she understands concerns for player safety and the dangers of a persistent head injury.
“Players don’t want to be reminded about their concussions. They don’t want to be known as the guy who went down with one. They downplay it,” she said. “Then it happens to me and I start wondering how these guys go back to being hit, taking all that punishment, a week or two later.”
Much like Oliver, individuals that experience head trauma may not develop symptoms immediately. Pain and medical complications due to an injury may develop hours, week, or even years after the incident. If you have experienced head trauma and have not been treated for the injury, it is important that you seek medical attention. Although you may not be experiencing any symptoms or complications, it is important to catch problems early, before they become too serious to treat effectively.
About Our Firm: We have offices in Virginia Beach, Hampton, and Norfolk, VA along with an office in Elizabeth City, NC. Our team of personal injury attorneys publish and edit articles on three Legal Examiner sites as a pro bono service to the general public.
Comments for this article are closed.