Category Archives: Litigation
Another Ex-Player Joins NFL Concussion Litigation
Timothy Petersen, who played for the New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins in the 1970s and 1980s, has joined thousands of other players in claiming that the NFL consistently denied any relationship between symptoms of CTE, or other neurodegenerative disorders, and the repeated blows to the head they suffered in playing the game, despite mounting evidence of a connection.
“These denials and active refutation on the part of NFL agents, constituted fraud (unintentional or intentional) and concealment of information directly related to the Plaintiffs’ causes of action,” according to the complaint.
Representing Peterson in the May 10 filing was Massachusetts lawyer Anthony Tarricone of Kreindler & Kreindler and Philadelphia attorney Sol Weiss of Anapol Schwartz. Their client is seeking monetary damages in excess of $75,000, lost wages, punitive damages pursuant to state law, interest and other court relief.
Peterson alleged that he suffers from symptoms associated with multiple traumatic brain injury and CTE, including lesions on his brain, which have adversely impacted his memory.
His rationale for waiting to file was allegedly tied to the recent onset of symptoms.
“Because of the continuing tort of concealment and fraud carried out by the Defendant, and his ongoing difficulties with his memory, it was not until recently, that the Plaintiff had the ability or any reason to consider that repeated head impacts suffered during his career were the cause of his present symptoms and that his symptoms were caused by conduct, misconduct and omissions of the Defendant,” according to the complaint.
Posted in Football, Litigation, Professional
Tagged litigation, nfl, repeated blows, symptoms
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What Should Matter …
Eugene Egdorf of the Lanier Law Firm in Houston doesn’t hide the fact that he sits on the plaintiff side. So when we asked him late last month for comment about a story we were doing for Concussion Litigation Reporter about NFL players withdrawing from the concussion litigation against the league to pursue NFL contracts, he shared his overall opinion on the controversial litigation.
“What should matter are the actual relevant facts:
“1. The NFL had concussion data it hid from the players;
“2. There are dozens of dead and disabled former players all suffering from brain injuries attributable to football;
“3. The science on cause and effect is indisputable.
“4. Some of the scientists who conducted research on the issues for the NFL are so appalled that their work was hidden that they are coming forward on behalf of the players; and
“5. The NFL’s ‘defense’ is centered on the provisions of collective bargaining agreements – not science or the facts of the case.”
Posted in Football, Litigation, Other Sports, Professional
Tagged evidence, litigation, opinion
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Ohio State Athletic Director Talks Concussions
(Editor’s note: The following is an exchange from an interview with Ohio State University Athletic Director Gene Smith in the Columbus Dispatch)
“Question: There’s also been some speculation that the concussion issue could eventually kill football, that all it would take would be a couple of big lawsuits at the high school level and maybe schools wouldn’t want to risk the liability?
“Answer: I don’t know if it’ll kill it but I could see it redefine it, it could change it drastically. That’s why we have to keep studying this issue. There’s a number of studies going on across the country. The Big Ten has an alliance with the Ivy League. We’re fortunate we have an expert on our campus, Russell Lonser. I was in a meeting with him and Urban last week. He’s the guy who (studied) Junior Seau’s brain.”
