Researchers at Boston University say they have found a traumatic brain disease in former Eagles and Patriots fullback Kevin Turner , who was the lead plaintiff in a concussion lawsuit filed against the NFL .

Announcing the results of their study at a conference at Boston University on Nov. 10, the doctors say Turner developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, over 25 years, playing from youth football up through the NFL.

Turner died in March at the age of 46 of complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Led by neuropathologist Ann McKee, researchers at Boston University and the Veterans Administration studied Turner’s brain and concluded that the real cause of his deterioration and death was the most advanced stage of chronic traumatic encephalopathy known.

CTE has been linked to repeated brain trauma and to Lou Gehrig’s disease. In examining Turner’s brain, Dr. McKee found strong evidence that his motor area was profoundly damaged.

“The severity of Mr. Turner’s CTE was extraordinary and unprecedented for an athlete who died in his 40s,” Dr. McKee said.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and the NFL

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy has now been identified in an growing list of NFL players. More specifically, 40% of the brains that tested positive for CTE once belonged to offensive and defensive linemen.

CTE is typically associated with cognitive symptoms, like memory loss and confusion, and with personality effects such as problems with impulse control or judgment.

But the brain isn’t only the seat of thinking and personality. It also processes and sends outgoing signals from an area called the “motor cortex” that, if damaged, can’t send the messages that tell our muscles what to do.

It is believed that chronic traumatic encephalopathy stems from repeated head trauma and can lead to depression, memory loss, and dementia.

This, according to researchers, supports the theory that it was not the violent collisions which lead to concussions that posed the most danger to NFL players, it is instead the repetitive minor head traumas that NFL players suffer on every play.

NFL Concussion Lawsuit Settlement

Prior to his death, Turner was one of the lead plaintiffs in a $1 billion NFL concussion settlement between the league and players.

Turner, who played for Alabama in college and professionally for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots, donated his brain to a concussion-related foundation for analysis. Because no imaging technique or other method can diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy in life, the only way to confirm it is by postmortem examination.

In 2015, a federal court decision to approve the NFL concussion lawsuit settlement agreement was upheld by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

The settlement covers over 20,000 former players and the agreement would provide payments of up to $5 million to players if they exhibit one of a few specific neurological disorders.

If you or a loved one suffered from head injuries as the result of playing football for an NFL team, you may qualify to benefit from the NFL concussion settlement.

However, the process of filing a claim for compensation involves detailed and complex paperwork, specific deadlines, and specific document request.

Having a lawyer help you throughout your NFL concussion lawsuit settlement claim could potentially mean the difference between receiving your just compensation or having your claim denied.