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News on a landmark settlement between the NFL and its football players over traumatic brain injuries shows the scope of claims is growing.
The NFL concussion settlement has approved over $827 million in claims and $760 million of that has already been paid out, according to the status report. A total of 3,146 former NFL football players or their families have filed claims that qualify for payouts in the NFL concussion settlement.
Allegations that the NFL was knowingly hiding risks surrounding concussions started making headlines in the early 2000s following high profile deaths.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Justin Strzelczyk died in 2004 at the age of 36 in a fiery crash with a tanker after reportedly leading police on a high-speed chase, according to the New York Times.
Defensive back Andre Waters had the brain tissue of an 85-year-old when he killed himself in 2007, according to ESPN.
In 2009, the NFL spoke publicly for the first time about traumatic brain injuries, according to The New York Times.
“It’s quite obvious from the medical research that’s been done that concussions can lead to long-term problems,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
The developments had players forming lawsuits across the country in 2014, prompting the eventual settlement in 2015.
The NFL says 20,556 players or their families have made a claim in the concussion settlement, according to its website.
While most of those claims have been granted “favorable” determinations, according to the status report, others have been denied because the concussion happened after the date of settlement.
Players that experienced concussions playing for the NFL continued to file lawsuits after the settlement, including Craig Steltz, former defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears, who filed a lawsuit in 2018 claiming injuries.
NFL players are also taking legal action against the metrics used in the NFL concussion settlement.
Last year, Kevin Henry and Najeh Davenport filed an NFL class action lawsuit claiming the cognitive tests conducted to determine eligibility in the concussion settlement are racist.
What do you think of the NFL concussion settlement? How concerned are you about the issue of traumatic brain injuries and concussions in sports? Let us know in the comments below.
The class is represented by Christopher Seeger of Seeger Weiss LLP.
The NFL Concussion Settlement is In re: National Football League Players’ Concussion Injury Litigation, Case No. 2:12- md-02323, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
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