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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At what point do the lawsuits start coming in against former PeeWee, High School, College, etc, coaches? Agree that the league should have done more to protect players if they knew what was going on. However, teaching guys at a young age to lead with their heads, slam guys to the turf, etc, was not something that the NFL taught them. I am sure that soon these people will feel the ire of all of this.
Another American fail... That is can even be brought up. People who go for the big bucks with not caring if they get hit in a job that is nothing but hits, then complain that it hurt. We just get stupider and stupider...
You know if the players win, there will be no more football...or it'll become NFTL. T is for touch.
It'd probably be NTFL, but very good try.
Seriously??? They didn't know that they could get serious injuries playing football? WOW!!! My mother wouldn't let me play football when i was a kid because even SHE knew you could do permanent dammage to yourself ... so I ended up playing baseball and running track in high school! Give me a break guys.
This is really getting out of hand. C'mon, people that play professional football, you are telling me do not know of the potential consequences? Do they not hit and tackle in football? Next thing you know, Fireman for example will start suing because they had their hair burn off in a fire. Fireman know going into being a fireman that there are risks. A lot of these professional football players and familes earned a lot of money playing football and now they are suing the NFL who helped pay their paychecks? I feel sorry for those that have lost loved ones, but I find it really hard to believe they did not know what they were getting into when they signed the contracts to be professional NFL players.
Wow–let me get this straight. These players spent years slamming their heads around and thought it would'nt cause any damage?
If this is successful I guess it opens up the courts for more smokers to sue tobacco companies. Now a person can go into court saying they knew they were participating in something dangerous, but just didn't know how dangerous. btw, my mother (along with hundreds of thousands in US alone) did not play football, even as a child, we know of no hits to the head, and yet she also started exhibiting these same effects around the age of 70... but I will still try getting in on this lawsuit, now that I know NFL knew about dementia and didn't warn us all beforehand.
Huh???? After having it good once!, my cat never hit his head again against the top of a coffee table jumping from underneath it. He knows it will hurt. He did not need a veterinarian to explain it to him.
disgusting people + Vile lawyers= nauseating story
At a risk of being stoned almost to death, buried still alive, dug up and finally skinned and burned alive:-), I'd add that American football is a disgusting sport altogether – a horrible mess of clashing, pushing, shoving and actually beating, a little throwing. Stupid and very unpleasant to watch. A horrific endless supply of injured kids like almost no other sport. OK, shoot me now...
I cant believe what I am reading.....If they get paid a cent for this they should be ashamed of themselves.....First of all I think it is rediculous what they get paid....now they say the NFL who has paid them alll of this money to begin with....gave them cars and houses as incentives...now they want more because they are gluttens...they are disgusting. I do think they were hit in the head too hard but NFL is not responsible
What you're all neglecting is the after-the-career care that very few of these men are receiving for their ON THE JOB injuries.....if you lose a leg in combat with the Army (even though you knew it was a dangerous job that you signed up for), you get compensated for that loss, and taken care of by the VA. Where's this care for the NFL players who were injured as a result of their work????? Last I checked, not a single owner or team has asked players to sign a waiver of liability....thus, those same teams are, indeed, liable.
Veterans do not make nearly as much money as professional football players do. They get paid a lot of money and should invest it but many of them go broke. They sue the nfl to get money for something they should have known about.
Matt – that is just plain ignorance comparing a soldier's brave duty to those playing football. There's no way a soldier can even think about getting that kind of money in his entire career and he/or she isn't in the service for that reason. It's because he/she love their country. Have you served your country in the service? I bet not.
Why is it only the NFL under fire? How about high schools, colleges anf peewee football?
Do you really think no injury happened there? This lawsuit idea is a stone loser because of the causation problems.
ah dah, getting your head smashed in repeatedly causes brain damage? who'd a thunk it
Just another way to try and get a payout. Gimme a break.....it's FOOTBALL. Wait, you mean there's risks of concussions and head trauma in a highly physical sport such as FOOTBALL?? Maybe tennis players should sue the ATP tour if they get arthritis in their elbow after retiring.
This makes me SO angry. Of all overpaid careers, they had no idea they were hurting themselves playing football?! Please, just disband the entire NFL and replace it with 300-lb. men in bumper cars that move 3mph.