On May 4, 2017, U.S. District Judge Anita Brody approved two groups of medical experts in the NFL concussion settlement. These experts will lead the testing and diagnosing of players in the class to determine whether each member has a neurological condition which will qualify them for recovery under the terms of the settlement. A list comprised of these experts was submitted last month.
Per the Approval signed by Judge Brody, the two panels of experts for this Settlement Program are the Appeals Advisory Panel (the AAP) and the Appeals Advisory Panel Consultants (the AAPC). The AAP is to be comprised of five board-certified medical experts who will: (1) review certain Qualifying Diagnoses made prior to the Settlement’s effective date; (2) handle disputes when a retired player’s medical provider and the administrator overseeing the Qualifying Diagnoses program disagree; and (3) advise the court or Special Masters with respect to medical aspects of the Settlement when necessary.
Meanwhile, the AAPC will be available to provide advice to members of the AAP, the court, or the Special Masters on the neuropsychological testing that is part of the Settlement Program.
The AAP is comprised of Dr. James Brewer, Dr. David Geldmacher, Dr. Stephen Mayer, Dr. Aaron McMurtray, and Dr. Rhonna Shatz. The AAPC is comprised of Dr. Jason Brandt, Dr. Kathy Lawler, and Dr. Glenn Smith.