Michael Schumacher News, Condition & Coma Update: Death of Phillip Hughes Rekindles Head Injury Protection Debate

The recent death of cricketer Phillip Hughes, who was hit with a cricket ball on the head that tore his vertebral artery, has started discussions anew on how athletes could be protected from these fatal head injuries.

Debates of the same subject already surfaced when Formula One racer Michael Schumacher also suffered from serious injuries during a skiing accident at the French Alps last year. He was initially put in an induced coma and is said to be slowly recovering from his injuries.

Hughes, on the other hand, was declared dead two days after the accident. According to The National, the 25-year-old athlete was also placed in an induced coma after he suffered from bleeding in the brain caused by the impact of the cricket ball that hit his head.

The report also quoted UK helmet maker Masuri which said that Hughes was wearing an old helmet model which "does afford batsmen extra protection in this region."

According to the Herald Sun, the cricket ball that hit Hughes' head was "harder than a rock" with its 160-gram weight.

"The ball is small so the ­actual pressure is like a bullet effect. People think it's only a ball - that's an illusion. Where he was hit is the spot where there is some ­crucial brain matter," cricket biometrics expert Dr. Edouard Ferdinands told Herald Sun.

In the report by the Herald Sun, other experts have also stated that the injury brought by the cricket ball can be similar to injuries caused by high-speed car crash and ski accidents. This issue has again raised the importance for athletes to wear proper head gears to avoid any injuries which can cause permanent debilitating life conditions or even death.

To give a clearer picture, neurologist Dr. Andrew Russman told The National that in the United States alone, there has been a significant increase in reports of concussions for the past 10 years with football having the "greatest individual risk of concussion."

In Hughes' cricket world, former England captain Nasser Hussain has also called on helmet manufacturers to increase their safety standards especially after the athlete's death,

"You have to think about ways of improving the helmet all the time, balancing protection with being able to move and see the ball. Putting bits on the neck is an area we've never thought about. We were always told to protect the temple, but were never really concerned about the neck. The instinct to get out of the way of a bouncer is to turn away. This will send shock waves through every cricketer," Hughes told Telegraph.

The same report, however, noted that "The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed there are no plans to make it mandatory to wear helmets in adult club cricket, while the ICC and Cricket Australia declined to comment on helmet technology."