Crazy Levi wrote:The NFL has settled for $765 million with the 4,000 former NFL players suing them over head injuries.
"Around $675 million will go toward players or families of players who were injured. Baseline medical exams for players will be capped at $75 million and a separate $10 million will go toward research purposes.
The agreement covers all retired players – not just those who were plaintiffs – and future payments will be adjusted for inflation. The fund providing payouts to players is designed to last some 60 years and includes a provision that it never can dip below $50 million; otherwise, the NFL’s obligations would speed up, Seeger said. Players will not have to prove that concussions caused their injuries, he said.
The settlement would not impact any current benefits programs for retired players.
Despite the strong allegations players and their attorneys set forth in legal complaints, Seeger said he didn't regret not litigating what the NFL knew or didn’t know about concussions. The main goal, he said, was to achieve the “right results for the players,” and to do so in a timely manner for them and their families"
NFL & Goodell scored a huge WIN with this settlement for 2 reasons
1)
The settlement (with the NFL and its marketing arm NFL Properties) comes with no admission of liability by them or acknowledgement by the ex-players of any weakness in their claims.
Settlement also nullifies the pretrial court discovery, including information in NFL documents and sworn statements, that would have occurred had the cases stayed in court.
2)
Michael Kaplen, a practicing brain injury lawyer who teaches at George Washington University, has labeled football a "concussion delivery system" for players.
"The settlement will have the unfortunate result of hiding from the American public all the dangers that the league has known about concussions and will allow them to perpetuate the myth that football is safe," Kaplen said.