Judge Anita Brody, who is overseeing a large NFL concussion settlement, told lawyers on Wednesday that they could look into whether companies are duping a few hundred former NFL players into signing contracts for unneeded services. Judge Brody had already sent out a notice in July to eligible players telling them she would hold a hearing concerning these deceptive practices in September, and, at the hearing on Tuesday, repeatedly asked plaintiffs’ lawyers how she could help. Judge Brody could potentially void any agreements found to …
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NFL Players’ Counsel Demand Answers from Attorney in Concussion Suit for Alleged Misrepresentations
On September 12, 2017, class counsel for former NFL players in the concussion suit against the NFL stated that an attorney made communications about the settlement program to class members that may have resulted in them taking action against their self-interest. The suit against the NFL for negligently handling the relationship between Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and repeated head trauma sustained by the former players’ profession resulted in a settlement that was approved in April 2015. The settlement could result in paying out more than …
Continue ReadingFormer NFL Players Hit Back as Over Eighty-Eight Percent Have Entered Settlement
The NFL and its former players agreed that August 7, 2017 was the final day for players to register for the NFL concussion settlement program in order to receive benefits for head trauma experienced during their careers that have or could result in brain injuries. Current NFL players and those who retired on or after July 7, 2014 are not a part of the registration process.
Adam Selter, a lawyer who has been retained by approximately two hundred former NFL players, stated “[t]he settlement is …
Continue ReadingStudent-Athletes Want Schools Held in Contempt
Seven NCAA schools failed to meet the court’s deadline to turn over their athlete contact information. The student-athletes that comprise of the 4.4 million member class want the schools to be forced to explain why they missed the deadline. The student information is needed for the proposed concussion settlement process. On June 6, 2017, Judge John Lee extended the opt out or objection date for the NCAA concussion settlement. This settlement has been in the works for some time, but without the cooperation of …
Continue ReadingNCAA Athletes Granted Deadline Extension to Opt Out of Concussion Settlement
Judge John Lee, an Illinois federal judge, extended the opt out or objection date for the NCAA concussion settlement. Class members now have until August 4, 2017 to exclude themselves or object to the settlement. The settlement impacts an estimated 4.4 million current and former NCAA student-athletes in 43 different sports. In July 2016, Judge Lee pre-approved the $75 million settlement fund. The proposed fund earmarks $70 million for a 50-year medical monitoring program to screen student-athletes for head injuries. The additional $5 million …
Continue ReadingNFL Concussion Litigation Settlement Results in a Flurry of Objections
The five-year NFL concussion litigation finally came to a conclusion when a settlement was reached, however, while the court has given final approvals regarding several objections and opening the registration for all class members, lingering issues still remain regarding the allocation of attorneys’ fees, as counsel for thousands of class members are scrambling to take their fair share.
The concussion litigation settlement established a bottomless fund over a sixty-five year period to compensate a class of over 20,000 former NFL players. The deal offered …
Continue ReadingFormer NFL Players Object to Class Attorneys’ Fees from the Concussion Settlement Fund
The former NFL players and their families seeking to recover from an uncapped NFL concussion litigation have objected to an additional five percent set-aside sought by the class attorneys on the case.
As previously reported, in April 2015, the NFL entered into a settlement agreement with almost 22,000 former players, which established a 65-year span to compensate the class members. The deal offers payments ranging from $1.5 million to $5 million for each player, or the player’s estate, who suffered from a serious …
Continue ReadingSupreme Court Blocks Appeals Over NFL Concussion Settlement
On December 12, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will not hear the appeals concerning the concussion-related settlement between the National Football League and more than 20,000 former players.
This class-action originated when former NFL players accused the NFL of hiding its true knowledge of the link between football and the degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. Upon reaching a settlement, however, a group of dissenting retirees argued that it “unfairly favored currently injured retirees and left thousands of …
Continue ReadingFederal Judge Pre-Approves NCAA Concussion Settlement
On Thursday, July 14, 2016, an Illinois federal judge granted preliminary approval of a $75 million settlement for concussion-related personal injury claims brought by a class of student-athletes against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee said he expects the settlement to be finalized next year after further resolution of issues between the two parties.
Seventy million of the settlement will be used to fund a 50-year medical monitoring program to screen student-athletes for head injuries. The remaining $5 million …
Continue ReadingA Marathon, Not a Sprint: NCAA Concussion Settlement Revised Again
A long awaited settlement for NCAA concussion litigation has been revised, once again. The NCAA released the proposal in an effort to address shortfalls in previous settlement plans. The revised settlement, if approved by the court, provides injured student-athletes the option to sue their individual colleges, but only on behalf of players of a single sport. Additionally, the proposal removes a provision that would allow the administrator handling medical monitoring claims to pursue reimbursement from former athletes’ private insurers. The NCAA and lead plaintiffs …
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