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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Former Player Objects to Class Counsel Fee Request in NCAA Deal
Despite a final approval on the settlement for the class of former football players’ suit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for its handling of concussions, there is still a dispute over how much the class counsel should get for attorney fees. Class counsel requested $15 million for attorney fees, but a former college football player, Anthony Nichols, told the judge that the counsel should not get more than $8 million. Nichols based this number off of the fact that the initial settlement had …
Continue ReadingNFL 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 ReadingNCAA Women’s Lacrosse Players Object to Concussion-Related Settlement
Former NCAA women’s lacrosse player Samantha Greiber filed an objection to a proposed settlement reached in class-action litigation against the NCAA over concussions. Greiber alleges she suffers from permanent brain injuries due to concussions sustained from playing lacrosse at Hofstra University. She wanted to wear a helmet to prevent, or at least, minimize her injuries, however, the NCAA currently bars female players from wearing hard helmets, but requires them for male players. Greiber objects to the proposed settlement because it would bar Women Lacrosse Players …
Continue ReadingFinding a Cure: Researchers in Midst of Developing Potential “Concussion Pills”
According to Dr. William Korinek, CEO of Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals, a so-called “concussion pill” is targeted for a 2025 release into the world. This pill would, in theory, allow for one’s brain to self-heal and repair long-term brain damage, such as damage sustained through football concussions. While Dr. Kun Ping Lu predicts a release date closer to 2027, the fact that it is on the way at all can provide a light on the horizon for those struggling to find any release from chronic traumatic encephalopathy …
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 ReadingBoston University Wins Fight for Fees
On Monday, July 31, 2017, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson awarded Boston University $96,300 in attorneys’ fees and costs to be paid by the National Hockey League. The dispute stemmed from the NHL’s demand for research and data from about 400 former athletes’ brains studied by BU’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center. The University refused the request on the grounds that only six of the brains studied were those of former NHL players, and Judge Nelson honored their request for fees and costs stemming …
Continue ReadingAfter Review, Ruling Linking Football to CTE Stands
On Tuesday, July 25, 2017, Dr. Ann McKee published the continuation of a study that began eight years ago, where McKee and fellow researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University published study results revealing that 87 of 91 former NFL players had CTE. The most recent update to that study, which was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that 177 of 202, or nearly 88 percent, of deceased football players had CTE. Of those brains tested, 110 of …
Continue ReadingDropping The Gloves: NHL Fights Back at Player’s Bid to Exclude Expert Testimony
The NHL has responded to a bid to remove expert testimony the league believes improves their attempt to defeat class certification. The NHL’s response is the latest development in the December bid to certify a class by the league’s former players who claim that the league failed to warn them of the various known risks and diseases associated with repeated head trauma.
The players believe the league’s expert testimony is cumulative and will confuse a jury due to its amount of similar and supposedly irrelevant …
Continue ReadingFourth Circuit Says NFL Retirement Plan Wrongfully Denied Request for Higher Benefits
On Friday, June 23, 2017, the Fourth Circuit affirmed a Maryland District Court’s 2016 ruling that the National Football League’s Retirement Plan wrongfully denied a request by former NFL linebacker Jesse Solomon for a higher level of benefits. Solomon sought a higher level of benefits as a result of cognitive impairments he has suffered due to head injuries sustained while playing nine years in the NFL. As a result of the affirmation that the Retirement Plan “abused its discretion” in Solomon’s case, the NFL will …
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