A panel of federal judges recently ruled that ten class-action lawsuits brought against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) will be consolidated into a single multi-district litigation in Chicago. In essence, each suit alleges that the NCAA intentionally concealed the long term-risks of concussions sustained by student athletes in a variety of college sports. The consolidation follows in the wake of the recent $765 million settlement of the NFL’s concussion litigation, a nearly identical action brought against the league by over 4,500 former NFL alumni.…
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Concerns Raised Over Attorney Compensation in NFL Concussion Litigation Settlement
Around four months ago it was announced that over 4,500 NFL player plaintiffs and the League reached a $765 million settlement resolving the ongoing multi-district concussion litigation in Pennsylvania District Court. In brief, the plaintiffs alleged that the NFL intentionally concealed the long-term risks of head injuries and concussions and their role in later-life cognitive decline.
However, U.S. District Court Judge Anita Brody for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has yet to approve the settlement agreement, partly due to issues concerning attorney compensation. It was …
Continue ReadingAre Concussion Problems Heading to MLB as First Former Major Leaguer is Posthumously Diagnosed with CTE?
Researchers at Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy announced that former Major League Baseball player Ryan Freel was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (“CTE”) at the time of his suicide last December. He is the first MLB player to be officially diagnosed with the disease.
CTE is a brain injury associated with repetitive brain trauma (such as concussions) which causes the abnormal build-up of tau proteins in the brain. Early symptoms of the disease include erratic behavior and memory loss, but it …
Continue ReadingFines Drop, but Study Finds Dangerous Hits Still Prevalent in NFL
A recent study by the AP analyzed the rate at which NFL players experience dangerous hits by reviewing 549 penalties called through the first 11 weeks of the 2013 football season. It found that over the first 162 games of the year, 156 of the penalties studied involved contact with the head and neck. Statistically, this means that nearly once per game, an NFL player receives a blow to the head or neck that could have serious health and/or career consequences. The numbers also revealed …
Continue ReadingEx-Players Sue Kansas City Chiefs Over Concussions
The Kansas City Chiefs are the latest target of concussion litigation. On December 3, 2013, five former members of the NFL team sued for damages related to head injuries.
The case was filed in a Missouri state court on Tuesday by Alexander Cooper, Joseph Phillips, Kevin Porter, Leonard Griffin, and Christopher Martin. It is the first concussion lawsuit filed against an NFL team, rather than the league.
The players allege similar complaints to those in the suit settled earlier this year. They are suing on …
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 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 …
Continue ReadingFormer Hockey Player Derek Boogaard’s Family Sues NHL for Wrongful Death
The family of a National Hockey League (NHL) player who died of an accidental overdose from pain medications and alcohol has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the league in Cook County, Illinois. The family of Derek Boogaard alleges that the NHL is responsible for the brain damage he suffered during his years in the league and for his eventual addiction to prescription pain killers. Boogaard was found dead of an accidental overdose of pain medication and alcohol on May 13, 2011 at the age …
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