NFL football players who suffered a head injury while playing on a team could be eligible for compensation through a recent NFL concussion settlement.

In April, a federal appeals court upheld a $1 billion settlement by the NFL to compensate former players who had filed concussion lawsuits.

Athletes who retired before July 7, 2014 might qualify, as do family members of NFL players who passed away prior to July 7, 2014.

In agreeing to the NFL concussion settlement, the NFL did not admit to fault, even though NFL manager Jeff Miller acknowledged the link between football and brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE.

NFL Concussion Settlement Covers CTE, Other Brain Damage

The NFL concussion settlement covers players who suffer from neurological diseases and cognitive impairments as a result of playing on an NFL team.

Among the ailments covered:

• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)/Lou Gehrig’s Disease
• Dementia
• Memory Loss
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease believed to be caused by repetitive brain injury. Proteins gather around the injured part of the brain. When brain cells are healthy, the healthy cells eat the proteins, but in CTE, the proteins eventually outnumber the healthy brain cells. The healthy brain cells are too few to eradicate the proteins.

Dr. Ann McKee, Boston University neuropathologist, found chronic traumatic encephalopathy in autopsies of 90 of 94 former NFL players who had suffered from multiple hits during their careers. Offensive and defensive linemen made up 40 percent of the cases.

Dr. Walter Koroshetz, director of the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, expressed that the medical community is “desperate to find a way to diagnose it in (living) people.”

Currently, CTE can only be definitively diagnosed in an autopsy.

NFL Players Deserving Part of $1 Billion Settlement

NFL players who are plagued by neurological damage after their careers ended could receive up to $5 million from the NFL concussion settlement.

“This settlement will provide significant and immediate relief to retired players living with the lasting scars of a NFL career, including those suffering from some of the symptoms associated with CTE,” Judge Thomas L. Ambro wrote, noting the NFL’s admission of a “certain” link between football and CTE.

Senior U.S. District Judge Anita Brody expressed concerns that the funds could run out, and sent the deal back twice so that lawyers could iron out further projections.

The $1 billion figure is the estimated total NFL payout over 65 years and includes interest plus $112 million for lawyer fees.

The NFL concussion settlement will cover more than 20,000 NFL former players. The NFL predicts that 6,000 retired players could develop Alzheimer’s or moderate dementia.

The NFL has been accused of hiding the risks of repeated concussions and other head trauma for years in order to allow injured players to return to the field.

The NFL concussion settlement means the league may never be ordered to disclose what and when it knew about the risks associated with these injuries.

How to Receive Your NFL Concussion Settlement

The NFL concussion settlement document is 150 pages long. The detailed terms of the deal and the rights of retired NFL players are meticulously outlined.

Experienced NFL concussion attorneys can maximize the number of NFL seasons that are covered and ensure you receive a qualifying diagnosis from an approved physician.

The lawyers also can ensure the claim forms you submit are complete and not rejected due to missed deadlines or inadequate documentation.

If you suffered from head injuries as a result of playing on an NFL team, you could be eligible for up to $5 million in this NFL concussion settlement.