NFL Concussion Lawsuits | NFL Concussions | Feeney Law Firm

Supreme Court Asked to Reject NFL Concussion Settlement

Brett Katsma — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 19:15:19 +0000

Now a second group of former NFL players have petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States to reject the $1 billion settlement agreement reached between former players and the NFL. The most recent group of players to petition the Supreme Court argue that the agreement treats current brain injuries differently than future injuries and is unfair to those who may be diagnosed with CTE in the future. Proponents of the settlement agreement have been given until November to file an opposition to the petition, meaning the justices may not make a decision until late this year. Unfortunately this means that any disbursements from the settlement agreement will be delayed until all appeals are exhausted.

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NFL to Launch $100 Million Concussion Initiative

Brett Katsma — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 21:09:41 +0000

The NFL is launching a $100 million concussion initiative in the hopes of improving player safety. $60 million will go towards technological development, in part to try and improve helmets for players while the other $40 million will go to funding medical research on the effects of head injuries. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he thinks the new initiative will help make the game safer for the players. While Goodell says he knows there will be a degree of skepticism concerning the league’s efforts related to head injuries, he hopes that sharing the results of the initiative’s research with the public will show that the NFL is committed to player safety.

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Potential for One More Appeal in NFL Concussion Case

Brett Katsma — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 21:04:09 +0000

In the latest NFL concussion news, lawyers representing the estate of former Denver Bronco running back Cookie Gilchrist have petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the appeal of the NFL Concussion Settlement Agreement. This is the last chance to appeal for those who oppose the current settlement agreement. Gilchrist’s lawyers say the categories of retired players in the settlement are insufficient and that some players were not properly represented due to “inadequate discovery.” Even though August 30th was the deadline for asking the Supreme Court to hear the case, lawyers for two other groups of retired players were given an extension until September 19th to file an appeal. While there is only a small chance that the Supreme Court will agree to hear the appeal, no benefits can be distributed until all appeals are exhausted.

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Appellate Court Refuses to Hear Further Arguments

Brett Katsma — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 21:05:23 +0000

Since the Third Circuit Court of Appeals refused to hear further arguments for altering the NFL Concussion Settlement Agreement, the only avenue left for players to challenge the agreement is the Supreme Court. While it is unlikely that the country’s highest court will agree to hear the case, former players certainly have the right to take their challenge as far as they can. However, it should be noted that funds cannot begin to be paid out until all appeals have been exhausted. This means that former players may have to wait even longer to receive money from the Settlement Agreement.

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Court Denies Hearing Further Arguments on Approved NFL Settlement

Brett Katsma — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 21:12:22 +0000

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals denied the request by some former players to rehear arguments against the NFL Concussion Settlement Agreement. A group of former players objected to the Settlement Agreement’s treatment of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, CTE, and asked a larger panel of judges to consider hearing further arguments. A one-page decision stated that a majority of Third Circuit Judges were not in favor of rehearing the case. Players hoping to alter the Settlement Agreement can petition the Supreme Court to hear their case, but it is unlikely that Court would do so. Unfortunately, until all appeals are exhausted, no money will be paid out on concussion claims

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Former Players Request Rehearing on Concussion Settlement Approval

Brett Katsma — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 17:05:40 +0000

The lawyers for several retired NFL players requested the entire Third Circuit Court of Appeals rehear arguments against the NFL Concussion Settlement Agreement. Last week a three-judge panel from the Third Circuit affirmed the approval of the agreement, however this group of players is now asking that a larger group of judges hear their argument. The retired players are still concerned with how chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is treated in the Agreement and would like to the court to hear further arguments. If the court does agree to rehear arguments, it will further delay getting payments to players in need since no money can be paid out until all appeals are exhausted.

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Appellate Court Approves NFL Concussion Settlement

Brett Katsma — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 12:13:41 +0000

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the district court’s order approving the NFL Concussion Settlement Agreement. While those challenging the agreement are displeased with today’s ruling, proponents of the agreement consider it a step in the right direction in getting much needed financial awards for retired players and their families who are suffering from neurological conditions due to their time playing in the league. This is an important aspect of today’s decision to consider as it may get drowned in the coming days by those who opposed the settlement agreement as it currently stands. As long as there are no further appeals, former players and their families can start applying for and receiving the benefits from the NFL. The reason this entire litigation was started in the first place was to get former players medical and financial benefits. Hopefully that is not lost on the small minority who are unhappy with today’s decision. Our goal from the stat has been to get as much assistance for those former players who are in need of help. Many former players are already suffering from various neurological conditions related to their time spent playing in the NFL, and many more will be diagnosed in the future. We believe the deal currently agreed to will do a lot to ease the financial burden many former players and their families are currently experiencing.

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Appeals Court Upholds $1 Billion NFL Concussion Settlement

Brett Katsma — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 20:00:13 +0000

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld Federal District Court Judge Anita Brody’s Order approving the NFL Concussion Settlement. The appellate judges found the settlement “fair” and reasoned that it was “for the greater good of all players.” The three-judge panel sided with Judge Brody on almost all of the major questions before the court. Objectors to the settlement argued that it didn’t do enough for those who would be diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the future but the appellate court said that the settlement’s treatment of the symptoms of CTE was “reasonable.”

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Another Study Links Playing Football to Brain Trauma

Brett Katsma — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 20:41:57 +0000

We just added an additional page to our website concerning a new study done by the director of the Florida Center for Headache and Sports Neurology concerning what some say is the strongest link yet between playing football and trauma to the brain. One striking part of the study that stood out to me was that HALF of the former players in the study had serious problems with everyday functions like reasoning, problem solving, planning and attention. In addition, 45% experienced difficulty with learning and memory. These are tasks human beings are expected to perform all of the time without having to think twice. Because the NFL made the decision to hide the dangers of head injuries from their players, these men are struggling with things that most people take for granted. Some of them may say that had they known the risks they still would make the decision to play, but there was no decision for them to make. The NFL took that away from them when the league decided money was more important than players’ lives.

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Scientists Reveal Strong Link Between Football and Brain Trauma

Brett Katsma — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 20:36:00 +0000

Dr. Frank Conidi, director of the Florida Center for Headache and Sports Neurology, recently presented a study at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting in Vancouver that reported some alarming results. Studying images from sophisticated MRI machines, Conidi analyzed the brains of 40 living former NFL players. What he found was that more than 40% of them showed evidence of abnormal brain structures.

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