Former Seattle Seahawks Star Brian Bosworth Claims NFL Days Led to Traumatic Brain Injury
Brian Bosworth, aka “The Boz,” who played for the Seattle Seahawks in the 1980s, has filed a personal injury lawsuit against helmet manufacturer Riddell as well as the National Football League because the two groups lied about the dangers of concussions and traumatic brain injury, which Bosworth suffers.
Bosworth, who now works as an actor, said the NFL knew about the dangers of traumatic brain injury and untreated concussions but insisted that players return to the game as soon as possible and play as normal. He said in his lawsuit, filed on Friday, November 6th, that he suffers headaches and memory loss directly related to receiving untreated concussions for years.
Bosworth was not warned by the NFL, NFL Properties, Inc., or Riddell defendants of the risk of long-term injury due to football-related concussions or that the league-mandate equipment did not protect him from such injury. This was a substantial factor in causing his current injury,” his 46-page complaint states.
The former Seattle football star was not part of the traumatic brain injury class action lawsuit filed by numerous former NFL players who suffer not only ongoing headaches and memory loss but also dangerous brain swelling called encephalopathy and even mood swings, personality changes, and depression. The lawsuit was settled in July of this year, for an undetermined amount of funds to help each player. Judge Anita B. Brody had originally rejected the NFL’s first settlement offer of $765 million, despite former player support for the offer, because she did not believe that the amount would be sufficient to treat ongoing medical issues in former players suffering traumatic brain injury and other untreated concussion problems.
A great deal of research in the last few years has been devoted to the study of the long-term effects of concussions on both children and adults, such as professional football players. Scientific medical research points to a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy – which can cause behavioral changes, including aggression and depression, as well as dementia – as one outcome of repeated concussion injury.
A recent study examined the brains of 128 deceased former NFL players and found that around 80% of them suffered traumatic brain injury and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
“Obviously this high percentage of living individuals is not suffering from CTE,” said Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist who directs the brain bank as part of a collaboration between the VA and Boston University’s CTE Center. But “playing football, and the higher the level you play football and the longer you play football, the higher your risk.”
The Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys at the Strom Law Firm
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury due to a concussion after an automobile accident or injury from a defective product, it is not too late to get help. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm offer free consultations to discuss the incident that led to traumatic brain injury and determine if you have a personal injury case. Contact us today. 803.252.4800.
