The number of class-action lawsuits pertaining to concussions filed against the NCAA is now at five. Attorneys for former Kansas fullback Christopher Powell filed the most recent suit in U.S. District Court in Western Missouri on November 18 alleging that the NCAA failed in its duty to protect its athletes from the concussion/head trauma hazards of football and are seeking damages for the chronic physical ailments Powell is suffering almost two decades after he finished his collegiate career. The lawsuit claims that Powell, who played …
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NFL Just Can’t Outrun the Concussion Lawsuits
No matter how hard the NFL tries to get away from the concussion lawsuits, they won’t go away. Most recently, former Chicago Bears quarterback Bobby Douglass, and former Northwestern player, John Cornell, are suing the NFL and helmet manufacture Riddell. On November 4, 2013, the two former players filed suit alleging concussion-related injuries resulting from their time on the field.
Douglass, 66, was quarterback for the Chicago Bears from 1969 to 1975. He later went on to play for the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans …
Continue ReadingDid Concussion Lawsuits Deal a Fatal Blow to Helmet Manufacturer’s Deal with the NFL?
Riddell, Inc. was contractually granted the rights to be the official helmet supplier of the NFL in perpetuity in 1989, over 20 years ago. However, on Thursday, October 24, 2013, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed that the NFL had negotiated to end its business relationship with the helmet manufacturer at the end of the 2013 NFL season.
Riddell initially resisted the NFL’s withdrawal from their contractual relationship, but was ultimately unsuccessful in thwarting the NFL’s designs. A statement made by Roger Goodell at a youth …
Continue ReadingNCAA Will Try Mediation to “Soften the Blow” of Second Concussion Case
The NCAA has agreed to mediate another concussion case pending against it, according to an October 18, 2013 filing.
Last month, Chris Walker filed the case against the NCAA contending that the organization failed to protect student-athletes from concussions. Walker, a former defensive end for the University of Tennessee, is seeking class action status for all former NCAA football players. The parties agreed to mediation of the claims. Retired U.S. District Judge Layn Phillips will over see the mediation set to take place on February …
Continue ReadingConcussion Controversy: Is the NHL Next?
As previously reported by the Sports and Entertainment Law Insider, the NFL’s recent settlement of the concussion class action brought by former pro players, the pending suits by former college football players against the NCAA and helmet manufacturer Riddell, and the wrongful death action by the parents of a Frostburg State University football player who died after repeated head injuries suffered on the field, among others, all beg the question: When — not if — will hockey see a rash of concussion-related litigation?
Both the …
Continue ReadingNCAA and Riddell Hit Head On With Concussion Case
Two former college football players “hit” the NCAA with another concussion case. This comes just one week after it agreed to mediate concussion claims in another pending case. All told, the NCAA now has three potential class action suits pending against it regarding concussion claims.
Former Washington and Oregon quarterback, John DuRocher, and former Washington safety, Darin Harris, filed the suit in an Indiana federal court. They are seeking over $5 million in damages for the repeated head injuries they sustained while playing. According to …
Continue ReadingNCAA Agrees to Mediate Concussion Claims
Former federal judge Layn Phillips is heading back to mediation with parties over concussion claims. This time he will preside over claims by former college football players against the NCAA.
The suit was filed two years ago by former Eastern Illinois player Adrian Arrington and three others. Arrington, now 27, suffers from seizures that he alleges are a product of repeated head trauma suffered while playing as a defensive back. The players, who are seeking class action status, are asking for unspecified money damages, long …
Continue ReadingNFL Settles for $765 Million in Concussion-Related Lawsuits
The National Football League has agreed to settle the massive class action litigation brought against it by more than 4,500 former football players who alleged that the league intentionally downplayed the risks of concussion-related head injuries and their long-term effects on cognitive decline. Former United States District Judge Layn Phillips, the court-appointed mediator, announced that the NFL will contribute $765 million to provide medical benefits and injury compensation for retired NFL players. The settlement will also pay for medical and safety research, and cover litigation …
Continue ReadingNCAA, University Sued Following Football Player Death
The parents of a Frostburg State University football player, who allegedly died after repeated head injuries suffered on the field, have accused coaches at the Maryland school of organizing high-risk drills that caused players to suffer repeated blows to the head. In the wrongful death lawsuit, Derek Sheely is alleged to have been allowed to return to the playing field despite prior bleeding from his forehead during several consecutive practice sessions in August 2011. Sheely was allegedly never checked for a concussion. The lawsuit alleges …
Continue ReadingMore Former Players Sue NFL for Concussions
On Tuesday, August 13 eighty-three more National Football League (NFL) players sued the NFL regarding concussions related injuries. According to the Washington Times, Pro Bowl players Clinton Portis and Daunte Culpepper were among the players that filed suit.
The complaint alleges that Portis suffers from headaches and is “at a heightened risk of developing further adverse neurological symptoms in the future.”
Earlier this year, Portis stated that he suffered a number of concussions while playing. He couldn’t give an exact number because there were …
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