• 25
  • July
    2011

It is definitely one of the top most violent sports in this country. Along with football comes tackle after tackle. And helmets and all of that padding sometimes is not enough. Specifically, a group of former NFL players blame the helmet manufacturer Riddell for supplying them with helmets that didn't effectively protect them.

But the ex-players are not only going after Riddell; the 75 of them are also suing the league, claiming that officials did not provide players with enough warning about or treatment for the long-term effects of the rough play in the game. The players involved in this personal injury suit allege that they suffer from various serious symptoms of brain injury, due to concussions they sustained while playing in the NFL.

Among the long-term effects the players say that they suffer from are the following and more: headaches, memory loss, changes in personalities, dementia and depression. For at least one former NFL player, depression led him to commit suicide. That is an extreme example of what the plaintiffs say misinformation about and lack of treatment for concussions can lead to in players' futures.

Exactly what the former NFL players want out of this lawsuit is not disclosed. In the big picture of things, however, the ideal scenario of this lawsuit would be that the league and Riddell both put more focus on player safety. The NFL asserts that it has worked to protect players from brain injuries. Maybe more needs to be done on the league's part.

This case surely will keep the topic of professional athletes and head injuries in the spotlight, and we will post updates as more developments about the important issue come up. Until then, what do you think? Could the league do more to protect its players? Or should players assume that there is a high level of risk when they make a deal to play?

Source

Bloomberg: "NFL and Helmet Maker Riddell Sued by 75 Retired Players Over Concussions," Jef Feeley, 21 Jul. 2011