NFL Faces More Lawsuits over Long-Term Player Brain Injuries

By Grant Law Office on January 18, 2012

Two more cases have been filed in Atlanta by former National Football League players and their families seeking compensation for serious brain injuries, bringing the total number of players represented in the Atlanta court up to 28, according to a recent article from the Daily Report Online. Over 125 players and their families have filed similar cases nationwide.

The cases claim that the NFL failed to adequately protect players from repeated concussions during football games. Repetitive head trauma, like concussions suffered on top of concussions that haven’t fully healed, is linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. CTE can cause conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and it is also linked to serious changes in personality, mood, and cognitive and emotional functioning. One of the families that filed suit in Atlanta is that of a former NFL player who recently committed suicide after being diagnosed with CTE and suffered severe psychological symptoms.

The lawsuits claim that the NFL downplayed years of research into CTE and the effects of head injuries on players. It also claims that the NFL’s Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee, a body purportedly created to help protect players, was staffed with hand-picked individuals who would misrepresent or conceal medical evidence so that players would be kept in the game even after a head injury should have sidelined them.

The long-term results of repeated concussions are beginning to be fully understood, and the damage can be severe and even life-threatening. If you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury, the experienced Atlanta traumatic brain injury lawyers at The Law Offices of Wayne Grant, P.C. can help. Call us today at 404-995-3955 for a free and confidential consultation.