Concussion Lawsuit Update
The first NFL concussion lawsuit complaints were filed in August 2007 by seven former football players and their wives. Today, there are a total of eighty-nine Concussion lawsuits with over 2,400 plaintiffs in a consolidated “Master Complaint.”
The suits, which were filed in several courts across the nations, have now been consolidated into U.S. District Judge Anita Brody’s court.
Brody has given the league’s attorneys until Aug. 9 to respond to the complaint or file a motion to dismiss the cases.
All of the complaints regard NFL players who suffered from serious head injuries during their football careers. Studies from as far back as 2005 indicated that players who experienced more than one concussion would most likely suffer from depression, paranoia, panic attacks, and dementia.
The main issue is whether the NFL took the necessary steps to inform players about these risks.
The most well-known case of career-related head trauma was long-time San Diego Charger, Junior Seau, a 12-time NFL Pro Bowler who committed suicide at age 43 after suffering from serious brain trauma from a lifetime of repeated hits.
The NFL earns around $9 billion in revenue per year. If the plaintiffs’ Master Complaint reaches trial, some say the NFL could be confronted with paying out “tobacco-like damages” close to billions of dollars – a level that would likely be a near-fatal blow to the NFL.
You can read more about the Concussion Lawsuit and the NFL’s response, as well as other issues related to traumatic brain injuries and the NFL on ESPN here.
The Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys at the Strom Law Firm are currently accepting cases involving NFL head injuries. Call today for a free consultation.
