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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common sense says that if you bang your head repeatedly on anything, you will suffer some brain damage.
You don't need anyone to tell you that, unless you're brain dead going into the sport.
Sounds like these guys burned through their life savings, and are suing the NFL for a handout
You get paid millions a year. You know the risks. Now you want to get paid millions and have zero risk? NOT THE WAY IT WORKS.
It's this very same head trauma that makes them stupid enough to think they can sue over something they knew was happening all along but were too greedy to stop excepting the millions they were getting to play a stupid game.
They were more than compensated over the time they were knowingly using their heads for a battering ram.
Stupid Jocks...
I would further argue that if one needs the level of training that one obviously does to participate in this business as a player, one cannot be considered to be anywhere near enough of an expert upon entry into the league to have any ability to do a long term risk assessment. I would not hire this inexperienced individual, no matter how physically talented, to do said risk assessment, no one would, its ridiculous and unprofessional to expect it of them.
Because they have athletic ability they have the ability to asses their long term health risks? How does that make any sense at all?
What did these dudes think the helmets and padding were for? A costume jubilee ball?
This is "primary assumption of the risk". The NFL is NOT negligent in offering a dangerous sport; the players need not have accepted the contracts. They may have a claim against helmet makers for a possibly defective product or against doctors they say "knew" they were injured. Can't wait to see how this turns out
If these smart young men would have stayed awake in Jr Hi they would have heard about the risk in playing anmost any sport class. I heard about the risk in health class PE class and science class and I graduated from high school in 1962
why did they think they were getting the big bucks?
Agreed. Football is a hard-contact sport. It's ain't bean-bag.
These people are disgusting. How dumb must someone be to not understand that injury can cause harm?
What next? Boxers suing because they had no idea that getting hit in the head repeatedly is harmful?
I could understand if every former player in the lawsuit entered the league at the beginning of the 1970s or earlier. However, these people were adults who chose to enter a profession where they knew there was a high risk of concussions (and other injuries) and at least by the 1970s it was also widely publicized that concussions could be fatal or have other serious long term health consequences.... as a female child I knew this just from watching prime time tv shows and the news. If nothing else, by the end of the 1970s (and definitely by his last fight in 1981) EVERYONE was aware that repeated brain trauma could have huge health consequences just by watching the sports news and reading Sports Illustrated and seeing what was happening to Muhammad Ali. These men were not misled... or if they were it was by themselves.
Honey, I didn't know that if I bump my head really hard it will heart – reminds of cases when people sued McDonalds for hot coffee.
... and then the current players are going to cry and whine about the league cracking down on blows to the head and overly aggresive play?? Are they serious? On the one hand you have 2,000 players sueing the league for not proteecting them and then on the other you have braintrusts like James Harrison cursing out the NFL every chance he gets for the league "ruining the spirit of the game" by taking out the huge hits. Which one is it guys? You can't have it both ways.
I just knew it was a mistake to teach them to read.
Well... I never thought I'd hear this... Football actually causes head injuries?? These guys must be kdding?? I am 54 years old... I I recall being told in highschool about football and head injuries. This is totally a bunch of crap. Is this the demise of Football in America??
Concussions are brain damage. Hits to the helmet bounce the brain off the skull. It's a gladiator sport with huge physical/emotional risks. After my concussion my math skills were reduced.
Really? Like we all didn't know from when we were very young that football causes frequent, real, and serious injuries? These football players are true morons and this lawsuit should be thrown out by the courts. Greedy, greedy, pigs.
But even if they knew there was more risk, would they give up on their career? I don't think so
Whats next, NASCAR car drivers suing because team owners didn't tell them that repeatedly crashing at speed could be harmful?