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.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
North Dallas Forty told us what the owners were like...
Professional sports in this country are nothing to be proud of. I am not sure how, except for their big egos and salaries, that these supposed commissioners can sleep at night. What a joke.
That's Crap, They Knew What They Were Doing When They Signed Up To Be A "FAMOUS Football HERO", empathy yes, sympathy, nope!
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!
Get paid millions of dollars playing in the NFL while real people bust their ass in the real world + Play stupid and get on the suing bandwagon to make more money on behalf of those that really seriously got hurt = WWWIIIIIIINNNNIIIIINGGG!!!!!!!!
Wow. I'm getting a few people to sue our local municipal water company –
we were not warned that we'd get wet taking a shower.
LMAO!!!!!!! Seriously I was wondering 'is it just me that thinks this is BS? I mean DUH !!!
Hey, excellent point. That's a serious risk. And now that I think about it, you get wet, but you don't even get fame and insane wealth when you get wet in the shower. You and me have even more cause to sue. How do we join that class action?
I have to wonder if this will affect high school sports. Will parents hesitate to Allow their kids to play football? Will schools even be able to afford the liability insurance to have a team?
I see far reaching impacts of this suit- even if it gets thrown out...
That's already happening. Kurt Warner refuses to let his son play football after his career ending head inury (thanks to the New Orleans Saints and their pact to permanently take out players). And what's going to happen to Peyton Manning. I mean the guy had metal rods in his neck and he still wants to play. All it will take it one hit in the wrong way and he'll be paralyzed. He'd better not sue the NFL for his own poor decisions. Sometimes you have to make the decision that's best for your life and that of your family and not just what you want to do.
But the lawsuit that says NFL mislead people about head injuries....are these players that stupid to not consult their own physicians and do their own research? I mean, really. We always have someone else to blame.
But the NFL should provide better care to it's players and retirees who suffer injuries while on the job, just like health insurance for any job.
So, let's all of us who drive, file a class action lawsuit against all vehicle manufacturers because they didn't tell us it was totally safe to drive. Or passengers sue airlines. Or any food manufacturer that uses any sugar. Or artificial anything. What a bunch of b.s.
what's wrong with trying to milk a buck out of anyone? i thought that's the american way!
If the NFL wants a future they better act quick. You cannot sustain the sport without an influx of new talent. I do believe many parents will look at this and refrain from letting their kids play football altogether.
yes..I see this issue as well.
The suicides have more to do with players not being able to deal with life after sports ends.
They have fame, fortune, and activity until they retire.. then they can't cope with the real life that the majority of us have to live.
No sympathy for them here.
Imagine these bozos all have college educations... HA... How do any of these people know exactly when their heads caved in ?
if wall street sucks the blood out of you, it's "business" as usual. if you do it, "how dare you"?
GO FOR IT, everyone! more power to you!
Here is the scary thing, brain damage to the old players had to have started when they were in high school and college, that is where the changes need to be made in how the game is played, so when they elevate into the NFL they have some idea of how it is done right, and fight back to the coaches and owners who encourage them to play like gladiators and use their heads as battering rams. Listen to the crowd roar when the big hits happen, sounds like old Rome to me.
This has to be a joke. It takes no effort to blame others and too much effort to be accountable for your own actions. The game is a choice. The facts are there. Common sense knowledge shows the risk versus the reward. Ludicrous
I hear a lot about the NFL downplaying long term effects of head injuries...but what about the medical staffs that work directly with the teams? They didn't know? They didn't have access to information that their players were suffering from head injuries?
The NFL is a fast paced, heavy-hitting environment. Head-to-head contact has been happening since before they invented the helmet. To say that you are unaware that repeated trauma to the head will have no long-term effects is ludicrous. IN my opinion, it's the fact that the fundamentals of tackling are being shoved aside and players are being encouraged to go for the big hits...and THAT is when head trauma comes into play.