One of the lead plaintiffs in the already settled NFL concussion and brain trauma lawsuit, Kevin Turner, had a severely advanced form of CTE, a brain diseases linked to repeated hits to the head.

Turner, a former running back for both the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles, had the most advanced form of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

He died at age 46 from complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

In 2010, Turner was diagnosed with ALS. A year previous, he noticed he had begun to develop alarming symptoms including weakness in his hands and arms. He also lost the ability to move and speak.

He suspected that the repeated concussions he suffered during his time as an NFL player and as a college athlete were contributing factors to his health issues.

Even though he continued to deteriorate, he agreed to be the named plaintiff in the NFL concussion class action lawsuit.

This lawsuit claimed that the NFL knew about the extreme danger associated with concussions and head injuries, yet intentionally concealed that information.

Turner encouraged players to accept a deal from the NFL that would help pay for the severe neurological diseases experienced by many players.

Following a court hearing back in 2013, Turner spoke to reporters, “I am very glad that we are at last moving forward with this and hope that it won’t drag and drag. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of us that don’t have 10 years to find out what the decision is.”

CTE and the Brain

When researchers studied Turner’s brain at the Boston University CTE Center, they discovered he had the most severe stage of CTE which can lead to ALS symptoms.

The supposed link between CTE and ALS has not ever been confirmed, but a professor of neurology and pathology at the Boston University School of Medicine said that she was convinced that Turner’s CTE led to his ALS.

Ann McKee said that CTE can only be determined by examining a patient’s brain after death. According to her, Turner’s brain “was riddled with CTE” and was “one of the most striking cases we’ve seen.”

Apparently, the severity of Turner’s CTE is thought to be directly related to the number of years he played tackle football and the age at which he began (5 years old).

After analyzing the brains of 228 former football players, McKee notes the “clear trend” that the length of career is associated with the severity of CTE.

CTE symptoms include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, paranoia, impulse-control problems, aggression, depression and progressive dementia.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease that many believe is caused by repetitive brain injury.

In the brain, proteins gather around the areas that are directly injured. Healthy brain cells eat those proteins, but in someone with CTE, the proteins begin to outnumber the healthy cells. Then, the healthy cells cannot clear the brain of the excess proteins.

In the brains of up to 96% of deceased retired NFL players, CTE has been found. Forty percent of CTE-positive brains were those of offensive and defensive lineman.

Attorneys familiar with the NFL concussion settlement can help you obtain the benefits you deserve. If you or someone you know played for the NFL and now suffer from neurological disorders or possible CTE, do not hesitate to seek legal counsel.