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
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Most if not all of those yoyo's were braindead before they were picked to play. I think someone here said it's like suing a cigarette company for getting ill from their product. You mean you didn't know butting heads, falling on heads, getting an elbow to the head, steroids, alcohol, drug abuse, misdirecdted bullets could cause brain damage? Duhhhhhhhhhhhh. sounds like another Obama cause for his lame Justice dept, to insinuate themselves into......could this be a racially motivated crime by the owners???? Hurry get The Road Rev's out Jesse and his sidekick Al....hahahahahahahaha
Weird, it seems as though a career playing football turns out to be a pretty bad career choice.
If you say the players should have know and that they played at their own risk, then there will be consequences that the fans may not like. If the NFL does not do something positive there will be a great many parents who will decide to not let their sons play football. Pop Warner will dry up. There will be fewer kids playing in high school. The talent pool for colleges and pros will diminish. Eventually the game may become a footnote in history.
We'll end up with a human ban in football only to be replaced by robots like an episode of the Jetsons. Then they'll want their own robot union and preventative maintenance plan. Only to be represented by decendants of the these lawyers to defend the robot union of america. Sound rediculous? Watch for a movement to ban pro football if these crackpots win this case.
Is this real? What do you expect will happen when you smash your head against something as hard as you can hundreds of times per day? They are destined to lose because it's exactly what they signed up for in the first place.
Subjecting your head and body to trauma is a just one of the dangers and known risks to playing this and many other sports. If this lawsuit succeeds, we need to hang up the cleats for all contact sports across the board. We can enjoy tennis until 2,000 players get together and sue for tennis elbow.
I'm repeating a post I read some time ago about this matter but I agree with it. These players are paid MILLIONS to bang their heads against each other. How can they say they didn't know there were risks? And now they want what? More millions. Let's just dissolve the NFL. I for one would not mourn its loss.
It's is certainly an inherently violent sport, but dont you think the NFL should have done more to warn indivuduals. I mean speaking in legal terms, not providing adequate information or warnings generally opens up the possibility for some liability. Considering the fact that it is a hugely profitable industry, the NFL has not done nearly enough in respect to providing players with adequate information as to the potential harm. It would seem this suit would force the NFL to fully recognize the potential for serious head trauma, and put into place various safegaurds for current, former and future players. I think it is tremendously ignorant to and really lazy to write a quick one liner saying junk like "what do they expect when they smash their heads into one another?" That's not the point here. Not at all.
Oh come on now.......I know some players can't say 2 words without losing their train of thought, but they are basically fairly intelligent. I cannot believe that they don't understand the risks of phycial damage when playing this sport. That is stupidity. Same goes for boxing – you get slammed in the head often enough, something is going to happen to the brain. Everyone's answer is sue, sue sue!!!!!
suing the NFL for player injuries is like suing Poland Springs for putting water in its bottles
i think i will sue my youth, high school and college hockey organizations too. nobody ever warned me, they just made me wear a stupid helmet.
People of the United States of America,
In the old days of Football 1960's and 70's ,when a player took a hard hit and the coach held up 2 fingers and asked the player how many did he see and he said 6 .That should have told everyone that constant concussions would cause brain damage.The players should have been smart enough(maybe) to feel there was a problem and get out of the game.This is just another change at a large payday for players that are broke due to their own stupidity.
Hey people, I understand these effected ex NFL players. I'm sure the NFL doden't want anyone to get hurt for life. But I like Football and the replay clips shown on ESPN and the News show NFL Players tackeling with their HEADS and not their Pads. No one has told or teached any Football player to use their heads the way they do. I feel if these NFL players want to blame the NFL for their health and life, they should check their self because there are NFL Rules for Not using your Head to tackle and hits. They should protect their own head and neck. The Players are in charge of their own safty! I feel this suing is not going to go anywhere and thrown out for these reasons. The NFL gives them Pads and helmets. Not holding their hands or heads. Just watch these Games and video clips and see these NFL players using their heads not the pads......
Ignorance is bliss ... *rolls eyes* This is a disgraceful lawsuit. I don't feel bad for the NFL, they have plenty of money to go around. And I feel bad for the players who are suffering medical conditions. But the principle of suing someone because they didn't tell you something you already knew is so disgusting.
With the millions of dollars per year that these guys make, they can afford the best doctors. There are frequent injuries, and they see their doctors regularly. Of course their doctors told them the risks, they just ignored it for the big paycheck.
Athletes should be protected......
yeah, protected from their own stupidity.
We live in such a nanny world, no one is responsible for the decisions they make. The billions of dollars a year were great at the time but have been spent. Now it's time to SUE.......