Words matter—especially when it comes to brain injury.

In this episode of The Brain Injury Insider, we discuss a new joint statement from leading brain injury organizations that aims to improve how brain injury is defined, discussed, and understood across medicine, law, policy, and public life.

The guidance, titled “Communicating About Brain Injury,” was released by the Brain Injury Association of America and partner organizations to address outdated and often harmful language surrounding brain injury—including the overuse of “mild, moderate, and severe” labels.

Key topics include:
• Why traditional “severity” labels are misleading
• Brain injury as a chronic, lifelong condition
• Traumatic vs. non-traumatic (acquired) brain injury
• Twelve core principles for communicating about brain injury
• How language affects insurance claims, access to services, clinical care, and legal outcomes
• The importance of centering people with brain injury as whole individuals

Whether you are a survivor, caregiver, clinician, researcher, legal professional, or advocate, this conversation is essential.

Organizations involved in developing the guidance include:
• The Brain Injury Association of America
• The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM)
• The National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA)
• The North American Brain Injury Society
• PINK Concussions
• The TBI Model Systems

As a past president of the Brain Injury Association of New York State and former chair of the New York State Traumatic Brain Injury Services Coordinating Council, I commend these organizations for advancing this important work.

Read the full guidance here:
https://biausa.org/CommunicatingAboutBrainInjury

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

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckuC69k85hY

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: help@brainlaw.com
brainlaw.com

The holidays (Christmas and New Year) can bring a mix of emotions—joy, reflection, and sometimes real difficulty, especially after a traumatic or serious injury. In this message, brain injury attorney Michael Kaplen shares gratitude for survivors, caregivers, professionals, and colleagues, and offers encouragement, peace, and hope as we look ahead to 2026.

Resources:
Michael Kaplen: https://brainlaw.com/about/michael-kaplen/
Shana De Caro: https://brainlaw.com/about/shana-de-caro/
brain injuries: https://brainlaw.com/brain-injuries/traumatic-brain-injury-guide/
De Caro & Kaplen, LLP: https://brainlaw.com/
contact De Caro & Kaplen, LLP: https://brainlaw.com/contact-us/

If you’re navigating recovery—mobility, memory, cognition, emotions, or daily life—we see your strength and honour your resilience. May you find moments of peace and connection this season, and renewed hope in the year ahead.

Subscribe for more updates from The Brain Injury Insider.

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: help@brainlaw.com
brainlaw.com

As we gather for the Thanksgiving holiday, I'd like to reflect on what this season means for all of us—gratitude, connection, and the small but powerful ways we show up for one another.

Thanksgiving reminds us that gratitude is more than just something we feel; it’s something we practice. It’s found in the care we extend, the compassion we show, and the support we offer, especially during times of challenge.

In my work representing individuals and families affected by traumatic brain injury, I am reminded every day of the incredible strength of the human spirit.

The courage, resilience, and determination of survivors need to be acknowledged during this holiday season.

It is a privilege to stand beside those navigating life after a brain injury and to advocate for their dignity, rights, and well-being.

But as joyful as the holidays can be, they can also bring mixed emotions, particularly for people living with a disability or the lasting effects of a brain injury.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJBV1NjI1B0

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: help@brainlaw.com
brainlaw.com

Today I want to discuss a recent study with potentially wide implications for anyone who plays soccer — even at the amateur level — and even for those who have never been diagnosed with a concussion.

Heading a soccer ball repeatedly might damage your brain, even if you never are knocked out, see stars, or diagnosed with a concussion.

In one of the largest studies yet to look at the effects of soccer headers in non-professional players researchers found:

Players who had repeatedly headed a soccer ball showed changes in a part of the brain called the gray-white matter interface, an area located in the orbitofrontal region. An area just behind the eyes.

When the skull is struck and then the brain bounces around the interior of the skull, this region of the brain is sensitive to injury.

The brain changes found on testing were related to memory and learning.

Importantly, many of these players had no history of diagnosed concussion.

Researchers concluded that the damage to the brain is cumulative and related to the repetitive hits.

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

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: help@brainlaw.com
brainlaw.com

Today is National Concussion Awareness Day.

A time to remind ourselves that a concussion is not just a bump on the head, it’s a brain injury, a public health crisis, and too often, the beginning of a lifelong struggle.

In this episode we cover:

• Why concussion is a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• The hidden impact on children, families, and communities
• The consequences of underreporting and insurance denial
• Why federal funding for TBI research and awareness must be protected
• What YOU can do to change the conversation

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

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: help@brainlaw.com
brainlaw.com

Did you know that falls are not only the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries—they also carry important legal and safety implications?

This September is Fall Prevention Awareness Month.

It’s the perfect time to focus on fall prevention and safety.

Falls can happen to anyone, at any time, and they’re more common than you might think.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf-t6fn_jF4

Find out more at https://brainlaw.com/personal-injury/slip-fall/

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: help@brainlaw.com
brainlaw.com

Today I want to share some fascinating—and concerning new research.

The research reports that traumatic brain injuries may speed up the aging process in post-9/11 veterans.

Researchers looked at blood samples from over a thousand veterans, most in their 30s.

The study published in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation found that veterans with a history of TBI in all degrees of severity showed signs of aging faster at the biological level.

In other words, their bodies were acting older than their actual age.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tfBsB1mC0o

Visit our brain injury help hub 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: help@brainlaw.com
brainlaw.com

Today, I would like to spotlight an important new legislative proposal being considered by the New York City Council highlighting the link between domestic violence and brain injury and the need for screening of domestic violence survivors for this invisible injury.

The legislation would require mandatory screening for brain injury among survivors of domestic violence whose injuries often go unrecognized and unsupported.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0MhOna1c3Q&feature=youtu.be

🧠 Learn more about brain injury and domestic violence:
👉 https://brainlaw.com/brain-injuries/help/types/domestic-violence/

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: help@brainlaw.com
brainlaw.com