Kevin Kwasny, a football player from Winnipeg has filed a $7.5 million lawsuit against Bishop's University for forcing him to play despite showing symptoms of a concussion during the Canadian Interuniversity Sport football game between the Gaiters and the Concordia Stingers on September 10, 2011.
According to the court documents, Kwasny received a hard blow to his head during the first half of the game. He immediately left the field and reported that he was feeling dizzy and had a blurred vision to several members of the coaching staff. However, he was still asked to play. Soon after returning to the field, he was hit again in the head and suffered a major brain bleed, leaving him unconscious and nauseated.
"He complained about his head being sore and that he got hit very hard ... and they just told him to get back in there a couple of plays later and keep on going," Kwasny's father, Greg said.
At half-time, the former defensive end was taken to a hospital in a serious condition where he underwent emergency surgery. Later he was put under a medically-induced coma.
Kwasny now suffers from permanent brain damage. Kwasny, 24, is under 24/7 medical care for his brain injuries.
"He's in treatment. He's in hospital," said Greg. "He started walking about a year ago. Barely, you know. He's able to get around a bit."
Kwasny still cannot execute some of the basic everyday household tasks.
"He's at a point where he can't cut his food on his plate," Greg said. "He's trying to learn how to tie his shoes with one hand because his right side was paralyzed totally."
Greg said that the money from the lawsuit will be used for his son's medical care.
"It's not like I'm going to be a rich guy over this," Greg said. "Because anytime anybody wants to trade with me, go right ahead. They can keep the money, and I want my son back."
Jamie Kagan, Kwasny's lawyer, said that the university authorities have neither apologized nor offered to pay for Kwasny's medical costs.
"These kids go out into the football program, and if something goes wrong, they're sent home to their parents broken," said Kagan. "The parents are responsible for trying to get them fixed, and in Kevin's case, when you're dealing with a traumatic brain injury, those costs are substantial."
