As fans, news outlets, and analysts continue to review the outcome of Super Bowl 50 this morning, many still have not lost sight at the biggest controversy surrounding the National Football League: the prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among NFL players. The issue has recently been given new focus by the feature film from Columbia Pictures, Concussion. Concussion tells the tale of forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu (played by Will Smith), the doctor who first brought evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, to the NFL. CTE is a disorder that results from repeated concussions, much like the ones football players have suffered for generations. Omalu’s research finds a growing number of deceased NFL players that suffered from the disease—inspiring the NFL to attempt to discredit him and silence his work.
However, both in the film and real life, the NFL has not been able to avoid the reality of matter: the game of football causes these traumatic brain injuries that shorten and worsen the lives of many of its players. Since Omalu’s initial findings, more and more research has gone into the correlation between TBI and the game of football.
Some recent TBI/football-related findings include:
- Former NFL football players are nineteen times more likely to suffer from memory-related diseases than those who have not played football.
- 47% of all high school sports-related concussions are sustained by student football players.
- High school football players sustain roughly 300,000 concussions a year.
Holding the Responsible Parties Accountable
Football is popular and there are ongoing efforts to make it safer, but for years, the NFL and other institutions willingly ignored the risk of traumatic brain injury to protect profits. In doing so, they have prevented research from being done, safety practices from being established, and awareness from being spread. Both NFL players and student players of all ages have suffered TBI because of this– and these injuries deserved to be answered for.
The NFL has already dealt with numerous lawsuits over CTE claims and, all over the country, school districts, colleges, and universities have been served football-related TBI claims, as well. It is possible to recover relief for these victims’ traumatic brain injuries and make these institutions recognize the protections and considerations they should have been giving their players. As former NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw has said, the NFL has been “forced to care because it’s politically correct to care. Lawsuits make you care.”
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury due to their activity as a football player, you may have legal grounds to seek restitution. At Christian & Christian, our dedicated Greenville personal injury attorneys have more than 95 years of collective legal experience. We know what it takes to hold negligent and liable parties responsible in the wake of harmful wrongdoing—even when they are large, resourceful institutions who refuse to admit culpability.
Want to learn more about how our firm can help you and your loved ones seek justice? Contact us at 864.408.8890 today.