NATION
PHILADELPHIA—A federal judge on Feb. 8 urged NFL retirees to register for a concussion settlement that could cost the league $1 billion over 65 years.
About 22,000 retirees are encouraged to get baseline neurological testing. The league expects more than 6,000 of them to eventually be diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
The deal approved by Senior U.S. District Judge Anita Brody resolves thousands of lawsuits that accused the NFL of hiding what it knew about the risks of repeated concussions in order to return players to the field.
At a hearing on Feb. 8 in Philadelphia, lawyers reminded participants they must register for the settlement by Aug. 7, which could make them eligible for treatment and damage awards.
The awards could reach several million dollars for younger men with the most severe neurological damage, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The average award is expected to be about $190,000.
It’s been a long road for many of these NFL players and these families.
Christopher Seeger, lawyer
The awards do not currently cover depression, mood disorders, or future cases of chronic encephalopathy, or CTE, which some consider the signature disease of football.
“It’s been a long road for many of these NFL players and these families,” said Christopher Seeger, a lead player’s lawyer. “We’re finally at the point that we can roll out benefits ... that are greatly deserved and sorely needed.”
NFL lawyer Brad Karp said the league is “proud of this settlement” and that he hopes ex-players with neurological problems will get paid as quickly as possible. The 65-year settlement program covers players who retired from the league by Jan. 7, 2014.
From The Associated Press