A unified lawsuit on behalf of more than 2,000 National Football League players has been filed against the league in federal court, alleging that the NFL failed to acknowledge and address neurological risks associated with the sport and then deliberately failed to tell players about the risks they faced, according to attorneys representing former players.
The complaint, filed in federal court in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, unites the more than 80 pending lawsuits filed against the NFL.
“I firmly believe the NFL could have and should have done more to protect Ray. That’s why I am seeking to hold the NFL accountable,” Mary Ann Easterling, widow of former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling, who committed suicide in April after suffering for years from dementia, said in a press release. “Having lived through Ray’s struggle, I desperately hope and pray others can be spared the pain and suffering we have endured – and still endure every day.”
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy acknowledged the filing, but added that there was nothing new to the claim other than that it merges them all in one place.
"Our legal team will review today's filing that is intended to consolidate plaintiffs' existing claims into one "master" complaint," he said. "The NFL has long made player safety a priority and continues to do so. Any allegation that the NFL sought to mislead players has no merit. It stands in contrast to the league's many actions to better protect players and advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions."
However, many NFL players have claimed they suffer from a variety of injuries because of concussions without really knowing the severity of how badly they could be hurt playing the game.
“The NFL must open its eyes to the consequences of its actions,” Kevin Turner, a former running back for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles who has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, said in a press release. “The NFL has the power not only to give former players the care they deserve, but also to ensure that future generations of football players do not suffer the way that many in my generation have.”
Lawyers representing the NFL players cited "dementia, depression, reduced cognitive ability, sleeplessness, early-onset Alzheimer’s, and a debilitating and latent disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy" as some of the specific injuries caused by head trauma in the NFL.
“Instead of protecting the health of its players, the NFL’s response to this epidemic of brain injuries was to engage in a campaign of deceit and deception, actively concealing the risks players faced from repetitive impacts,” Christopher Seeger and Sol Weiss, co-lead counsels for the former NFL players, said in a press release. “This case is about providing security and care to former NFL players who have suffered these devastating neurologic injuries, and making the game safer for generations to come.”
Read more about the NFL's concussion problem:
NFL to require sideline test after head blows
Former NFL players: League concealed concussion risks
Film aims to show football's culture of playing despite concussions
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Too many blows to the head left these players with no common sense!
You are a prime example.
This is the stupidest lawsuit I have ever heard. While you're at it, sue your high schools, middle schools, elementary school playground supervisors and, while you're at it, you're parents who "forced" you to become interested in playing a violent sport.
Where does the stupidity begin and end with this topic?
I don't think you understand law very well. When people are employed to dangerous things anything the employer knows about the risks should be disclosed. People will still do dangerous jobs (heck people still work in coal mines), but then they can do it with full consent.
Also, what a lot of you guys are missing is that times have changed in our understanding of concussions - the average person was simply NOT aware that concussions could cause depression and suicide when many of these players were playing - but the key to the lawsuit is that the NFL allegedly did. What is common sense now (that mini concussions can build up damage) was simply not common sense at the time these guys were playing.
for some of you armchair quarterbacks on here saying "screw these rich crybabies", you must not know that the NFL covers their players for 5 years after their last date of employment. guess who covers them afterwards? anyone? anyone? yes, we do. via our insurance or medicaid and then medicare if they make it that far.
Or, the players and any other mental midgets like you, that put forth this type of argument, could just die. No cost to anyone then.
Our awareness and knowledge of these things grow every year. We're learning together. If you're a player...you want to be there for your team. The Saints franchise should be shut down for a year in punishment. I figured out what they were doing when they took out Brett Favre and he was wheeled off the field. If I could figure this out why couldn't the commisioner see it?
This is what a lot of people commenting don't realize - it was NOT common knowledge that repeated minor concussions would cause damage like depression and suicide, especially when most of these players were playing. It was not common sense back then. The key to this lawsuit is that the NFL allegedly figured this out before it was common knowledge and failed to disclose what they knew. Like any employer, they should have disclosed the risks. People would have still played but at least would have done so with full awareness of what they were getting into.
What garbage. These guys get paid 100 times what they're worth because of the risk of playing football. Now that they've collected their millions, they want to pretend that there was no risk. Tough luck boys. Your greed made you want the money – now it's time to pay the piper.
Football RUINS Sunday afternoon TV.
@Johnnyboy–I read the article. It's written by one of the lawyers hoping to cash in on this fiasco. It has no credibility. The solution is to do what many industries have done as a reult of liability law suits. Close down the NFL. The whiners can play sand lot football and get paid $0 for doing so.
Next Nascar drivers will sue NASCAR for not warning them that they might possibly be involved in a crash that could hurt their health.
The sad part is that they will probably win their suit.
Because the NFL didn't tell the truth to the players until now, genius.
Any football player that doesn't consider the long term effects of routine concussions has had too many brain injuries already. What's next? Wrestlers suing the WWE for spinal injuries?? Firefighters suing the state for burns? This is a stupid lawsuit and a convenient excuse to get more money.
What did these players think would happen with as many hits to the upper body they get? Can you say punch drunk?
SIMPLE RULE ! If you want to avoid concussions, don't get hit in the head !
did the doctors who examined these players withhold info on how damaging the concussions were? I don't think so....
We need liberal laws to invade every aspect of our lives, then when stuff like this happens, at least the politicians can get rich!
DID ANYONE TELL BIEBER ABOUT THIS?
SIMPLE RULE ! If you want to avoid concussions, don't get hit in the head !
I can't believe no one has thought of that before now.
Someone posted that the lawyers should be disbarred. They just need to stay out of the bars that these players hang out in. After a few beers, it's lawsuit time!