Federal court weighing motion to dismiss NFL concussion lawsuit

Brain disease breakthrough? New study diagnoses CTE in living ex-football players

Researchers at UCLA say they've identified a degenerative brain disease called 'CTE' in ex-football players who are still living. It's a ground-breaking step for now, and it could lead to improved treatment in the future.

Federal court weighing merits of NFL concussion lawsuit

A Federal court is currently reviewing arguments to determine whether or not to move forward with a class action suit from former NFL players claiming negligence on the part of the league over the impact of concussions and head injuries.

NFL retirement board, NFL found to have divergent views on concussion impact

A joint report from PBS and ESPN found that at least three former NFL players were awarded disability by the NFL retirement board for health issues related to brain injuries suffered while playing football.

More Than 2,000 Ex-NFL Players Join Forces In Concussion Negligence Suit

Mary Ann Easterling described two starkly different versions of her late husband Ray. The man she married in 1976 after the two met in college at a Bible study changed in his 40s.

"Ray began to suffer from insomnia and depression," Easterling said of her late husband. "He began to make decisions that were contrary to our marriage's guiding philosophy. Our home life became chaotic. I was at a loss as to reason for these changes. Over the last 20 years, struggles deepened, but new symptoms appeared."

Ray Easterling was diagnosed with dimentia in 2011. In April 2012, he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Easterling's wife and thousands of other former players attribute their medical struggles to concussions and head trauma suffered as a result of their playing careers. Mary Ann is a plaintiff, on behalf of her husband, in a lawsuit accusing the NFL of negligence for failing to inform players of the risks and long-term damage associated with these types of injuries or take action to prevent them.

Easterling joined former Patriots and Eagles fullback Kevin Turner on a Thursday morning conference call to discuss the master complaint filed on Thursday morning in a Pennsylvania Federal District Court. The master complaint combines more than 80 individual lawsuits representing more than 2,000 former players. The suit also names helmet maker Riddell as a defendant.

"Let's face it and be honest," Turner said. "I feel like the NFL has over the past decades -- at least until '08 or '09 -- kind of turned a blind eye to the seriousness of not only concussions ... but the cumulative effect of [hits] and how these retired players are having so much difficulty in getting along in their daily lives."

Turner suffers from ALS, which he attributes to the cascading effects of injuries and head trauma. The fullback described the wear and tear on players of 16 regular season games, four preseason games and intense practices. Turner noted his own experience with practices under a pair of well-known coaches.

"Bill Parcells and offensive coordinator Jon Gruden were two very intense people who only knew how to practice one way," Turner said.

Headline names aside, Turner's comments speak to the lawsuit's accusation of the league glorifying the kind of violent, injury-inducing hits for its own gain at the expense of player health.

The NFL denied those accusations and said that it is currently reviewing the master complaint. A statement released by the league in response to Thursday filing read:

"Our legal team will review today's filing that is intended to consolidate plaintiffs' existing claims into one 'master' complaint. The NFL has long made player safety a priority and continues to do so. Any allegation that the NFL sought to mislead players has no merit. It stands in contrast to the league's many actions to better protect players and advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions."

Plaintiffs are seeking damages for injuries as well as a court-supervised medical monitoring program that would diagnose and provide treatment for players with neurological diseases.

The NFL does currently offer medical benefits to its former players. One of those programs, the 88 Plan, deals specifically with ALS, Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Plaintiffs claim that the program is inadequate.

Turner said that he started receiving disability payments from the league in January 2012. When he applied for the 88 Plan, he claims that he was told any money received from the 88 Plan would be taken from his disability. Attorneys on the case called the plan "woefully inadequate" and said that it does not provide the monitoring needed for these types of long-term health issues.

Concussion Lawsuits Expected To Be Combined

The NFL is in the midst of a legal battle with former NFL players over concussions. The league is currently facing close to 100 separate lawsuits from former players, but according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram the lawsuits will be consolidated on Thursday.

Lawyers for former NFL players plan to file a single lawsuit today consolidating scores of complaints brought against the league in the past year accusing the NFL of concealing information linking football-related head injuries to permanent neurological problems.

The lawsuits will be consolidated in the "master complaint" that prosecutors will file on Thursday in Philadelphia, Pa. although it was close to 100 separate lawsuits, the lawsuits combined involve more than 1,000 former NFL players, who all claim the league hid information about the dangers of concussions suffered while playing.

For more developments on these concussion lawsuits, please keep visiting this StoryStream. For complete coverage of all things football, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

NFL Concussion Lawsuits Now Include Johnnie Morton, 12 Others

The NFL has been increasing the emphasis on safety, especially concussions the past season or so, but that hasn't stopped former NFL players from joining the lawsuit against the NFL. Another lawsuit has now been added to the pile, according to Paul D. Anderson, who's been compiling the list of players in the lawsuit.

Yet another lawsuit was filed on Monday in the Superior Court of California - Los Angeles: Johnnie Morton et al v. NFL. It names 13 former players as plaintiffs. The most notable player is 12-season veteran Johnnie Morton, who played primarily for the Detroit Lions and then played three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Morton joining the lawsuit blaming the NFL seems kind of silly to me, considering that after his NFL career as a wide receiver, he decided to take up the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Morton had just one professional fight in his MMA career. Back in 2007, Morton took on Bernard Ackah at the K-1 Dynamite!! USA event in California. Morton was knocked out with a punch in 0:38 seconds in the first-round and was out for quite a while, being taken out on a stretcher. I don't know how many concussions Morton suffered in the NFL, but I find it hard to believe if he has issues dealing with life after football, this concussion suffered in the MMA match had to play a part.

For more developments on these concussion lawsuits, please keep visiting this StoryStream. For complete coverage of all things football, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Eric Dickerson Sues NFL Over Concussions, League Now Faces 80 Lawsuits

The NFL's increasing emphasis on player safety and on treating concussions with great gravity is coming as the league faces an unprecedented degree of legal pressure from former players. Paul Anderson, the proprietor of the NFL Concussion Litigation blog, reports that the latest big name to join concussion litigation is former Rams star and Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson.

Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson and 14 others have filed suit against the NFL over concussions. There are now 80 concussion lawsuits v. NFL

— Paul D. Anderson, JD (@PaulD_Anderson) May 21, 2012

Dickerson went on to a broadcast career with ESPN and ABC after his playing days, working on Monday Night Football broadcasts.

There are now 80 filed lawsuits against the NFL related to concussions, according to Anderson, and almost 2,300 named plaintiffs in them.

For more developments on these concussion lawsuits, please keep visiting this StoryStream. For complete coverage of all things football, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Art Monk Among The Latest To Sue NFL Over Concussions

The national debate surrounding the safety of the NFL and the long-term effects of players who suffer concussions is something that is currently seeing a lot of media attention. These debates and the scrutiny of NFL safety practices will only intensify in the months -- and perhaps years -- to come, as close to 2,000 former players have brought lawsuits against the league for head injuries.

The latest former player to sue the NFL is Art Monk, who spent 14 seasons with the Washington Redskins. According to Nathan Fenno of the Washington Times, the Hall of Fame wide receiver is suing both the league and helmet manufacturer Riddell, citing short term memory loss, headaches and speech difficulties as a result of concussions suffered over the course of his career.

Similar to the other lawsuits, Monk's accuses the NFL of knowing and concealing the long-term effects of concussions while "engaging in a long-running course of negligent and fraudulent conduct."

"Players who suffered concussions were told by the NFL and its agents not to be overly concerned, and were regularly returned to game action mere minutes after sustaining them," the lawsuit said.

More and more former players appear to be joining those pursuing legal action each day, including former Detroit Lions punter Jim Arnold, according to Eric Lacy of the Detroit News.

Monk may be the sort of high-profile former player to really take these legal proceedings to the front pages.

For more developments on these concussion lawsuits, please keep visiting this StoryStream. For complete coverage of all things football, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

NFL Lawsuits For Head Injuries Keep On Comnig

The NFL has come under a lot of fire recently for not putting enough focus on player safety. As more and more research is conducted on post-concussion effects and the association of football with traumatic brain injury, these attacks and debates are only going to increase and intensify.

The amount of litigation is also only going to increase. Reuters, via the New York Times, reports that over 100 former NFL players, including Chris Doleman, Jamal Anderson and Jessie Tuggle, have filed lawsuits against the league on Thursday.

More than 100 former NFL players on Thursday sued the league claiming ongoing debilitating effects from head injuries, joining a group of some 1,500 retired players who have brought legal action on the same grounds, a plaintiff's attorney said.

The latest lawsuit on behalf of over 100 plaintiffs was filed in federal court in Atlanta, said lawyer Kirk Pope. It seeks an unspecified amount of damages for lost wages, pain and suffering, and medical treatment.

This may very well be the beginning of years of legal battles. It is certainly something worth keeping an eye on and may end up becoming an important part of the player safety debate.

For more developments on these concussion lawsuits, please keep visiting this StoryStream. For complete coverage of all things football, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Ray Easterling, Plaintiff In Concussion Lawsuit Against NFL, Reportedly Commits Suicide

Ray Easterling, a lead plaintiff in the concussion lawsuits being brought against the NFL, has taken his own life. He was 62.

What The Money's For: Concussions, Liability And The Negligent Present Of The NFL

The future never makes sense until you're standing in the middle of it, something the NFL will understand soon enough.

NFL Faces Another Lawsuit Over Concussions

The NFL is facing another lawsuit over concussions, this time a suit headline by former Redskins QB Mark Rypien.

Dave Duerson's Family Files Wrongful Death Suit Against NFL

The family of late Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NFL, alleging that the league did not do enough to prevent and treat the concussions he sustained during his playing career.

Duerson sustained multiple concussions and won two Super Bowls in his 11-year career with the Bears and New York Giants, but his later life was marked by health challenges, and he committed suicide in February 2011 at the age of 50. Duerson's son, Tregg, alleges that the NFL's inaction led to his father's tragic death:

"If they knowingly failed to inform and implement proper safety concussion procedures, then their indifference was the epitome of injustice," Tregg Duerson said at a news conference announcing the lawsuit. "The inactions of the past inevitably led to the demise and death of my father.

In addition to the NFL, the Duerson family's suit names helmet manufacturer Riddell as a co-defendant.

For more on the Bears, visit Windy City Gridiron.

NFL Sued For Allegedly Withholding Concussion Information, According To Report

The NFL is being sued by 75 former players, according to TMZ.com, for concealing information regarding the long-term damage effects concussions have on athletes. The players also named helmet manufacturer Riddell in the lawsuit.

The players (and their wives, apparently), claim that the "NFL knew as early as the 1920's of the harmful effects on a player's brain of concussions; however, until June of 2010 they concealed these facts from coaches, trainers, players and the public."

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in L.A. County Superior Court according to TMZ, a gossip website, and includes Mark Duper, Otis Anderson and Rodney Hampton among the players suing their former employer.

Essentially, it comes down to the NFL not acknowledging the risks of concussions -- including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, dementia, memory loss and other similar repercussions -- until only recently after issuing reports in both 1994 and 2004 that ignored the possible side effects related to concussions.

There are many NFL players being affected by this disease later in their lives, leading to better research and more stringent testing.