Football has been described as the American sport. People who live in California are actually lucky enough to have two teams to choose from: the Raiders and the 49ers. Over the past few years, the National Football League (NFL) has worked to make the sport safer for the players, including a way to minimize brain injuries.
A group of some 2,000 former football players recently sued the NFL due to traumatic brain injuries that they say they endured because of their jobs as players for teams around the nation. It is estimated that football players will endure 1,500 to 2,000 blows to the head during their careers. It was not clear what career lifespan they used to get this number.
Experts estimate that over one million people experience traumatic brain injury every year. With proper rehabilitation and care, many people recover and return to normal life, but some do experience life-altering and permanent disabilities. One of the football players involved in the suit blames the fact that he was homeless several times on the debilitating disability he has experienced because of his brain injury. Another player committed suicide. A third player killed the woman he was dating, though the details were not immediately available, before ending his own life.
The players named in the suit against the NFL have agreed to a settlement of $914 million; included in the settlement are monies for increasing player safety and each player’s injuries, among other things. There are many ways in which people in California might receive brain injuries due to the negligent actions of another person. Regardless of how the injuries occur, the people may have the right under the protection of the law to seek compensation for the injuries they suffer, and the resulting costs. Successfully litigated restitution may cover medical bills, rehabilitation costs as well as pain and suffering.
