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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There is a legal concept named "assumption of risk". Unless the NFL "knew", and deliberately withheld information that concussions caused these types of health problems (...which in my opinion, they probably didn't), then I have to believe the NFL is blameless. While I feel sorry for these men and the long term health issues, they did knowingly engage in a behavior that causes both physical and mental ailments, that sometimes even resulted in death. These players did it for a paycheck and they did it because they enjoyed the game and wanted to. To seek monetary damages, unless there was intentional deception on behalf of the NFL, wouldn't be logical. But sometimes the "law" isn't always "logical".
I have nothing but sympathy for these guys with lifelong brain damage but is it really the NFL's fault? Was this information not available to the unions, to trainers, to these guys' personal physicians - not available to anyone but the NFL, which made a deliberate decision not to say anything? I know that lawyers are what they are, but this stretches credulity. Isn't there enough blame to go in all directions?
I played football in high school and got knocked out briefly once, and close to it on more than one occasion. I sort of knew it probably wasn't good, but had no idea it might have long term consequences. If the NFL wasn't educating players on the risks and dangers of concussions, this lawsuit likely has merit. The amount of money players are making is inconsequential if the damage is severe enough so life is so miserable that they take their own lives. Money is meaningless compared to your health.
By the time I was 10 years old, I knew hitting my head wasn't good for me. The argument is ridiculous.
They sure do not mind signing those multi million dollar contracts . Maybe they should start touch or flag football .
i see the dumbing down of this country has succeeded to the point that most of it's citizens lack the general intelligence to recognize risks or anything else an average intelligence would succeed in recognizing. The shift from personal responsibility to a culture of blame has also assisted well in moving us all into a nanny state where soon we will find everything will be controlled – from the food and drink we are allowed to consume to the sports and hobbies allowed to pursue. Soon football, baseball, boxing, gymnastics, basketball, bungee jumping, rowing, horseback riding, swimming, diving (well that is a thing of the past already at publlic pools with insurance rates what they are), driving a car, flying in an airplane, skydiving, rollerblading, hockey, skateboarding, surfing, windsurfing, flying a kite, playing cards, rinding a train, bike riding, motorcycles, chess, checkers and taking a shower or bath will all be outlawed since any one of these activities has caused the death of someone somewhere at sometime. And still even with abolishing these activites death will visit some of us prematurely. Life is risk by it's very definition - the activities we engage in and lack of activity are both causes of early death in some people. We need to stop this blame culture and desire to force everyone into the same pocket – why do Americans never learn from the past – when something is banned it creates an even greater desire from the public (prohibition) and leads to an even greater socieoeconomic division. If we are to keep some semblance of freedom and stop the snowball effect seen slowly beginning with certain bans of activities and products that will lead us as Orwell predicted quite accurately to 1984 - we all need to voice our disapproval and begin to demonstrate against these attempts at limiting personal freedoms and choices. Read a copy of The Patriot Act or ask someone to translate it to you and you will actually see where we already are in the process of total control.
sounds like you agree that people should be allowed to be deceitful without recourse. in that case, keep smoking cigarettes. Its cool and harmless!!
Football is a metaphor representing war–that's why it is shoved down our throats. In the case w/Tebow, who was born brain dead, this is not an issue, but the fact is men have been given misleading directions for generations now. Be a man!!!! Does that have to entail crushing our heads just so no one thinks we're pansies?
What the hell are you even talking about?
youtube george carlin's bit on baseball vs football
this is garbage. No one forced them to play football. Football is dangerous. This is just an attempt to collect cash akin to an ambulance chaser. Shady
"Waaaahh Waaaaaah Waaaaah! I do what I love but too stupid to realize that smashing my body over and over does damage! Waaaaah! I get paid Millions for playing a game!" Here's an idea, get together with all the other players and start something up the teaches young players this, that supplies better equipment or something instead of blaming someone else for your own stupidity!
What a bunch of losers...those suing the NFL. How about just not playing football period! You knew the risks going in!
Concussions were unheard of back in the days, it just became a big issue just a few years ago.
Caveat emptor. You are playing a sport that involves hitting at high speeds. Yes, they wear helmets and pads. But would you crash your bike on purpose because you wear a helmet? No.
Oh sure, the game of football is tough.
Listen, the guy committed suicide because of who he was married to.... not because of his football career
Did you see her picture?
Can we please put a helmet on her?
Another product of the liberal ideology that nobody is responsible for their own actions. And last time I checked, the NFL is doing a great job of introducing new technologies into all the gear the players wear. Has anyone watched a football game from the 50s? The equipment is completely different. They didn't do that because it looked good. They did it to protect the players. Every year at least one new technology is added to equipment that is supposed to help protect the player. If you have never done any research, look into what goes into making a helmet or shoulder pads. There are millions of dollars of R&D that has gone into every piece of equipment and it is also mandated to be a certain way by the NFL rules.
I bet you're the type of person that can make absolutely anything political. You people are really starting to get sickening.
Just had to throw "liberal" in there like it's a dirty word?
Thanks, you too, are part of the problem.
Good!! It isn't right that these young men have their brains bashed in. Football should go the way of Boxing – out of style.
what's the use of a helmet? why do motorcyclists, military men/women, children, construction workers, have to wear helmets? Why the big shoulder pads, and leg padding, and mouth guards. Do the manufacturer's guaranteed 100% protection from head injuries from their helmets?
OMG...I am overweight, and I don't think my doctor has ever REALLY explained how this can cause diabetes to me. I'm contacting my attorney right away. Oh wait....also those chemicals in my household cleaner that my child is breathing in....nobody told me they can make you sick!!! And come to think of it, this job, where I sit in a chair most of the day....it can kill me. But nobody has pounded it into my head. Good Lord, I can retire tomorrow on the money I could get for all these injustices because I am too stupid to see them in the first place. There's probably a lawsuit in that somewhere also, let me check.