On October 5, 2018, Junior Seau’s family settled their lawsuit with the NFL; however, the particulars of the settlement are confidential. As we have previously reported, Seau, who played for the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and New England Patriots, took his one life, at the age of 43, in 2012. An autopsy report showed that Seau suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a condition caused by repeated brain trauma. In 2013, Seau’s family filed a wrongful death and joined a class of other players suing the NFL.
In 2016, a federal appeals court approved a settlement between the NFL and the class of more than 4,000 former players. The settlement offer paid at least $765 million over 65 years, and more in some cases, to players who suffered or had suffered from brain injuries linked to concussions; however, Seau’s family opted out of the settlement.
Reportedly, Seau’s family does not regret the decision to opt out of the 2016 settlement. Seau’s family attorney, Steven Strauss, said, “I’m glad that it’s resolved for them now so they can move on with their lives. It took a long time. That was frustrating, but it was successfully settled, and that’s good.”