Following a multi-million dollar settlement of a concussion class action lawsuit, the NFL is now taking even more steps to address the problem of head injuries in professional football.

This past September, league commissioner Roger Goodell announced a new initiative intended to make professional football safer though greater prevention and treatment of head injuries.

The initiative, known as the Play Smart Play Safe initiative, will contribute $100 million towards advancements in brain injury medical research and engineering.

The NFL will also create a position for a chief medical officer, a physician who will establish an independent scientific advisory board to consider proposals for head injury research projects.

The new funding complements another $100 that the NFL has already committed to promoting medical and neurological research into the effects and treatment of traumatic brain injury.

Since the issue has gotten more and more attention, the NFL has responded with changes in game rules and the addition of independent health monitors to evaluate potential head injuries.

Each NFL game is now required to have a 29-person professional medical staff on hand.

Still, it’s not certain that these steps are adequate to protect players from repeated head injuries.

The league was criticized after Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton took repeated helmet-to-helmet hits from Denver Broncos defenders in this season’s opening game, during which officials called only a single penalty.

Lead-Up to the NFL Head Injury Class Action Lawsuit

The problem of head injuries and resulting neurological conditions among professional football players began to get widespread attention in 2002, when retired player Mike Webster committed suicide.

He was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a progressive disease that can be triggered by multiple head injuries.

Former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson also took his own life several years later. He too was diagnosed after the fact with CTE.

Finally, in 2012, thousands of players began to litigate claims over their injuries. Over 2,000 players filed 80 separate concussion lawsuits that were ultimately consolidated into a single concussion class action lawsuit.

Generally, the players accused the league of negligently failing to address the likelihood of head injury that comes with a career in professional football.

Details of the NFL’s Concussion Settlement

Three years later, the concussion class action lawsuit led to a settlement that may benefit thousands of affected players. U.S. District Judge Anita Brody approved the settlement in April 2015.

Former NFL players who suffer from certain neurological conditions related to head injuries sustained during their professional careers may be eligible to claim up to $5 million each.

Retired players can also qualify for medical exams under the terms of the settlement. By one estimate, the settlement will require the NFL to spend as much as $1 billion over 65 years.

Neurological conditions that can qualify a player for compensation include CTE, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Participants in the litigation say the settlement terms and procedures can get complicated, and it’s possible a claimant unfamiliar with the process might miss out on all he could possibly claim – or be simply denied outright.

Attorneys familiar with the settlement process are available to guide claimants through the process of securing all the compensation they’re entitled to.