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FINALITY TO NFL CONCUSSION SETTLEMENT

Today is a historic end to the NFL Concussion Settlement.
The US Supreme Court refused to hear further appeals on the fairness of
settlement. This was the case that I originated when no one ever gave it a
fighting chance. It is because of my efforts that players now have an> opportunity to share in the NFL’s billions.

This settlement also brings about some sincere thoughts that
come to mind.

First, I hope this settlement compensates the families of Mike Webster,
Terry Long and Justin Strzelczyk. After all, this lawsuit was based on
their diagnoses of CTE.

Second, I hope that the former players who have documented qualifying
diagnoses are paid quickly as well. In other words, I hope that the
settlement claims processing is not run like the NFL disability system where
every claim is delayed and denied.

Third, I hope that the small group of former players who
decided to continue to litigate against the NFL will prevail with their
claims, especially those who I continue to represent.
If you have any questions about the case against the NFL or
Riddell, I welcome your contact.

 

Money Hungry

 

“It’s all about the money.”

“Those players knew what they were getting themselves into.”

“They aren’t even hurt.”

                Like it or not, we hear these phrases all the time. Because we hear it so often, all of our efforts to push education and prevent brain trauma seem to be a lost cause. However, we know the truth, and the truth needs to be told.

“It’s all about the money.” – People often say this believing that football players from back in the day made a substantial amount of money, just like many of the players do today. This is just not the case. In the year of 1969, a football player’s salary on average was around $25,000. Played a year or two, and they basically had no money to their name. Yes, they had fame, people knew who they were, but every day they put their own bodies at risk for America’s entertainment. This now brings me to my next point: “Those players knew what they were getting themselves into.” It is true, football players know that they may get a bruise or broken arm, but they sure did not know that their brains were at risk. Although the National Football League had known about the effects of continuous blows to the head in 1933, they said nothing. They made money off of their employees without telling them the risks, and because of this, hundreds of players now have some sort of brain trauma, some sort of cognitive impairment that affects their daily lives.

“They aren’t even hurt.” Well we wish that were true. We wish that there was no such thing as brain damage, or at the very least the NFL would have disclosed the risk. But there is, and that didn’t happen. There are men who have committed suicide, families without their husbands or fathers, men who have depression, anger issues, unable to sleep or remember where their own house is. And that is just the tip of the ice burg. Every day we talk with these players, and every day we see the devastation the NFL has caused. At the end of the day, the NFL owed a duty to it’s players for their on the field injuries, and they should not be a burden on our taxpayers. Still skeptical? Don’t take my word for it. Do the research yourself, and you will discover the tragedy of brain trauma.

If you or someone you know has experienced a head injury, call today to see how we can help. We not only advocate, but we care.

 

The Myth of Concussion Protection Gear

 

You’ve probably heard by now that any individual, who plays in a contact sport, is at risk of sustaining some sort of head injury, whether it be a concussion, or head trauma in general. But what many may not know, is that there is no protective gear that can prevent concussions from occurring.  There are many companies looking to make a dime off of parents by advertising their protection gear as a way to prevent a concussion. We’ve all heard things like:

“We have more padding to protect the head.”

“We have tension springs in our helmets.”

“ Our Mouth Guards are just what your child needs to prevent a concussion.”

“We have protective headbands and skull caps.”

Unfortunately, the list goes on and on, and with all of their “scientific research” it may sound convincing. A parent may buy the most expensive gear possible in the hopes that it will prevent their child from concussions, and that’s why this article is important, because parents and children need to know that there is no such thing as protective gear that will prevent a concussion.

But there’s so much research right? So many brands that just look safer. The easiest way to explain it is to picture an egg. Imagine that the shell of the egg is the skull, and the yoke represents the brain. One could protect the egg from cracking, but one cannot protect the yoke inside. There is protective gear for the skull, but the brain remains to be vulnerable.  This is not to be interpreted as all protective gear is bad and should not be used, but simply to separate what the sports gear actually protects.

If you or someone you know has sustained a concussion due to some type of sport, call us today to see how we can help you.

Do Those that Play Sports Assume the Risk of Injury?

I remember it well; one of the first interviews a client of mine gave. He was a former All-Pro and two time Super Bowl Champion.  He was asked whether he knew that football was dangerous and that he could get hurt. His reply spoke volumes. He said, “ I knew I would leave the game with bad knees and broken bones, I knew I could even break my neck someday. But, nobody ever told me that I could lose my mind by the time I reached my forties.”

In fact, how could an athlete know that concussions and head trauma was a concern? They were told to shake it off, let their head clear for a moment, use some smelling salts and get back in the game. Athletes were never told their brains were at a greater risk for head damage.

Today, athletes now know the full risks of head trauma and concussions. However, years ago this information was not provided.

If you have played a contact sport and have health concerns, please contact me to discuss your legal rights.