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NFL players with brain trauma receive notice of settlements stripped to nothing

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nf...736602002/

Quote:Some of the former players, as well as outside observers, blame in part lawyers who have filed liens seeking a large percentage of the awards even though they did minimal work on the case or recruited players with false promises after the settlement was reached.

Like most Class Action suits, the Law Firms rip the plaintiffs off for the lions share of the settlement, leaving them with next to nothing. Biggest ripoff in America, but the Trial Lawyers Association assures that Tort Reform never addresses this legalized theft.

This Trauma is why contact sports will soon be eliminated in college, including football and possibly Ice Hockey. If the rules aren't changed dramatically to address closed head injuries the colleges will be forced to eliminate these sports through fear of litigation by ex-players. Especially at the major colleges and universities.

I do believe that this is an issue, but it is like a whole lot of other activities which likewise include a high risk of head trauma or brain damage. Boxing still exists, as do many jobs requiring dangers far more likely than the brain damage which is possible in football. The thing is, just like people who voluntarily decide to smoke cigarettes, knowing that it is almost certain to lead to addiction and serious health problems, football players in college and pro, and even in HS, know that it is a sport which will likely involve regular head trauma, and all the consequences of the same. In the law it is referred to as "assumption of the risk".

I'm not saying "too bad for those people with problems", but to suggest that there is some entitlement to financial damages can be somewhat short sighted.

I played both football and hockey growing up. I have literally been knocked unconscious in both; once in football at a pretty young age, and twice in hockey when I was in high school. My jaw still cracks regularly from one of those hits in hockey when I made the mistake of having my head down. After that hit I honestly didn't enjoy hockey as much, and didn't play much after HS anyway, beyond some beer league stuff.

Unless you are very adept at staying out of the way, you are going to have head trauma in many sports. You will probably get other injuries too. Just the way it is. It ain't a secret, and you have to accept that as part of your decision to play or not.