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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Just silly that college educated football players entering into the NFL are ignorant or act like it to ANY injury or a head injury....
Sounds like 2000 players hit their heads a bit too hard!
Football is dead. There are going to be new rules implemented in response to this. The game will no longer be any fun to watch.
Oh well, football (and sports culture in general) is detrimental to society. Maybe society can focus on more intellectual things now.
In the heat of the game and rush of adrenaline, players are too punch-drunk to self-assess the extent and consequences of their head trauma!
Sue spectators for their blood-lust, which eggs on dangerous manouvres by all contact players!
Are you kidding me? That's like suing the Army for getting shot in a battle. *sigh...*
Stupid people shouldn't breed. Legalize steroids. Give them all plenty of those steroids until thru gonads shrivel into little raisins and they can no longer reproduce.
ironically it doesn't take genius or an education to breed....
I played only 2 years of high school football and had 2 concussions. And here, 40 years later I have back and knee problems directly related those two of playing. If someone had told me back then that I would have permanent brain damage from too many hits, do you think I would have still played? And no, I wasn't made aware of all of the risks and I am sure these NFL players weren't either. I'm betting most of you criticizing the players never played one down of football yourself beyond pee wee league. It seems the biggest football fans are women or men who were too lacking in athletic ability or too much of a sissy to put on the pads themselves. Football is the modern version of the gladiators – watching big guys maim each other for our enjoyment. It has become barbaric. When a pro player gets killed on the field, which will happen someday, maybe we can be done with this game. But more and more we're hearing about players dying a slow death from football and most of you don't seem to care.
I didn't allow my son to play football in high school because I learned that the game is inherently rough.
How about this idea. Right after the national anthem public disclosure should be made like this – Your children are giving us a lot of enjoyment in this game. Be aware however that this is a rough and violent game that can cause permanent brain damage which can show now or later in life. Of course, the sprained joints and broken bones may happen. This is a choice we made for our children. What do you think ? This is like the Warning on cigarettes.
Even in high school you had to be smart enough,to know that ramming your head into another person.could possible
not be safe.
I didn't play football when I was young specifically because of the risk of injury. Everyone I knew that played had developed some sort of life-long thing, so I chose to play other sports. I even hurt my shoulder playing baseball. I sustained serious injuries while snowboarding. You didn't see me suing my school or the mountain I was riding on... Those were the inherent risks.
There are essentially two options here.... Either get rid of the game entirely, or respect the fact that you made a conscious decision to play the game. Period. You cannot eliminate injury from the sport. You just can't. There really isn't much grey area here. Play football and accept the risk of injury, or don't.
I must of suffered four or five really bad concussion as a kid. Others just mild ones. But now I'm getting ready to start treatment for my third brain tumor in 10 years. Somethings got to be done to stop the cycle in our youth and players. Is it really worth it? I suffer from long and short term memory loss, and seizures.
I'm sorry for your troubles, but concussions don't cause cancer. Tumors and concussions are comPLETELY unrelated.
Play with fire you might get burned. This makes me laugh. As if they don't make enough money, now they want to sue. Ha, wake up! I don't think it's a rocket science, we're only human. How many brain cells does it take to realize, that a contact sport may cause injuries. Ha, I think we should teach all of our children to make the same mistakes, so we can continue to be entertained. Brilliant. Does anyone else out there, have any doubts, as to why we are in the global situation we are in today? WAKE UP!!!!!!!!
I would like to sue the NFL, for being destructive role models. They are ruining our chances of creating peace, with the weekly chaos they present to the world. A Class Act against destructive role models.
You decided to play the game. You knew what you were getting into. These players jsut played in the nfl for money and now they are blaming technolgy. Just stuipd. Thats why I dont' play it.
To all you Nay-Sayers...I bet you all sit in front of the your giant plasmas on Sundays and cheer your team on....maybe you'll get head bunted by a six-pack or horse collared by your wives (or significant other) to go do yard....Waw Waw!!
you NFL players get paid millions of dollars a year to intentionally smash into each other.. you abuse steroids....... DUHHHHHHHHHH
your lawsuit winnings have already been PRE PAID to you... why do you think you earn MILLIONS of dollars....
idiots... we should charge them for filing a nuisance lawsuit...
Romney vs Frankenstein (Obama)
Put simply, better the devil you don't know. Vote Romney