In early September, the NFL agreed to a settlement to pay $765 million to former players citing ongoing health problems linked to concussions they received during competitive league play. Within a few days of the announced settlement, four players from the original group filed a new suit against the NFL and its helmet maker, Riddell.
Alleged Gaps in the Existing Settlement
The existing agreement was only extended to currently retired players, regardless of whether or not they were plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The current agreement does not cover players who will retire from the NFL. More lawsuits addressing this concern were already expected and confirmed as the first was filed in a New Orleans federal court on September 3rd.
The new federal lawsuit, filed by Jimmy Williams, Rich Mauti, Jimmy Keyes and Nolan Franz, claims Riddell and the NFL intentionally hid information about the dangers of brain injury. Helmet maker Riddell was not associated with the previous $765 million settlement and is named separately in this lawsuit.
The suit is also seeking full medical care for past, current, and future NFL players who experience brain injuries – not just those who are currently retired. The current settlement drew criticism over this point and left open concerns about current players who are likely to experience complications from concussions later in life.
Basis of the Claims
These four players say they have each suffered one or more traumatic brain injuries (TBI) during league play. They are asking the NFL and Riddell to work together to establish and fund a medical monitoring and treatment program for all NFL players – past, present, and future. They claim the current suit’s promise to treat “currently retired players” is not nearly enough.
Three of the players’ wives, Chandra Williams, Nancy Mauti and Billie Keyes, are also plaintiffs in the suit. They claim these brain injuries have deprived them and will continue to deprive other NFL spouses of their husbands’ “services, society, and companionship”; citing loss of enjoyment and loss of consortium.
Suicides Linked to Concussions from League Play
After Junior Seau’s sudden suicide, his autopsy revealed that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a known cause of severe depression. CTE is a progressive degenerative disease only diagnosed postmortem and found in individuals with a history of multiple concussions. Seau complained of severe migraines, insomnia, mood swings, and psychosis in the weeks leading up to his suicide. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) has also been discovered in several other NFL players who had taken their own lives.
Medical research has directly linked severe depression and other mood disorders to the long-term effects of concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
References:
Chicago Tribune
