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Health & Fitness

Heads Up, Football

What do you think of the NFL legal settlement between the NFL and 4,600 retired players?

The news over the concussion-related suit was met with mixed reviews last week.

Some observers said the $765 million was too small a sum, in light of the estimated $9 billion in revenue that the league generates every year. But Sol Weiss, lead co-counsel for the plaintiffs, stressed the need to resolve the cases, in order to get benefits and compensation to their clients who are struggling now with the debilitating effects of football-related brain damage (read details of the legal agreement here).

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Critics are incensed by the fact that the NFL is not required to admit any wrongdoing, despite years of denying evidence that linked repeated brain trauma to degenerative neurological conditions causing traumatic brain injuries, dementia, memory loss and depression. Still, under the terms of the settlement, retired players will not have to prove that they ever had a concussion while playing in the NFL, or even that their neurological deficits now are the result of football at all. All players who are diagnosed with neurological problems and who were retired at the time the settlement is accepted will be eligible for benefits.

And that's important, because it would be difficult for many of these former players to prove that their medical problems are directly attributable to their NFL careers. Had the cases wound their way through the legal system, it would have meant years of litigation with an uncertain result for these retirees.

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Both the plaintiffs' lawyers and the mediator stressed that this agreement provides "relief and support where it is needed at a time when it is most needed." Said Attorney Weiss, "getting the deal done now is worth a lot more than getting a deal done or maybe not done down the road."  What do you think?

 

Mike Bottaro is founder of The Bottaro Law Firm, a Rhode Island personal injury law firm. His firm represents people who have suffered traumatic brain injury, whether in RI auto accidentsRI workers comp, or during recreation.
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