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SPORTS Tuesday 13 december 2016

Supreme Court

leaves $1B NFL

concussion STAR

settlement
in place

WASHINGTON (AP) — The WARS
Supreme Court on Monday
rejected challenges to the
estimated $1 billion plan by
the NFL to settle thousands
of concussion lawsuits filed
by former players, clear-
ing the way for payouts to
begin to those who have
been diagnosed with brain
injuries linked to repeated
concussions.
The settlement covers
more than 20,000 retired
NFL players for the next
65 years. The league es-
timates that 6,000 former
players, or nearly three in
10, could develop Alzheim-
er’s disease or moderate
dementia.
“This decision means that,
finally, retired NFL players
will receive much-needed
care and support for the
serious neurocognitive in-
juries they are facing,” said
Christopher Seeger, a law-
yer for the retired players.
“These courageous men
and their families, who in
the face of great adver-
sity took on the NFL, have
made history. Despite the
difficult health situations
retired players face today,
and that many more will
unfortunately face in the
future, they can take com-
fort in the fact that this set- Hossa, Anisimov and Panarin lead Blackhawks over Stars
tlement’s significant and
immediate benefits will fi-
nally become available to
them and last for decades
to come.”
The player lawsuits ac-
cused the NFL of hiding
what it knew about the
link between concussions
and chronic traumatic en-
cephalopathy, the degen- Chicago Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling (33) celebrates with
erative brain disease found teammate Marian Hossa (81), of Slovakia, after defeating the
Dallas Stars 3-1 during a NHL hockey game Sunday, Dec. 11,
in dozens of former players 2016, in Chicago.
after their deaths. Associated Press
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