FLICKR, DROSTThe conclusion to the publicized legal battle between the National Football League (NFL) and more than 4,500 former players may finally have been reached: the league will pay a settlement of $765 million, according to a statement made today (August 29) by Senior US District Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia. Most of that money will go to retired players who have severe cognitive impairment, dementia, or Alzheimer’s or Lou Gehrig’s disease—with $75 million for medical exams for retired players, and $10 million for research and education, reported NBC News.
How the money is divvied up among the plaintiffs will be determined by doctors and court administrators, and Judge Brody must still approve the settlement before it is final.
“This is a historic agreement, one that will make sure that former NFL players who need and deserve compensation will receive it, and that will promote safety for players at all levels of football,” Layn Phillips, a retired federal judge who mediated the settlement upon the request of Judge Brody last July, said in a statement. “Rather than litigate literally thousands of complex individual claims over many years, the parties have reached an agreement that, if approved, will provide relief and support where it is needed at a time when it is most needed.”
The lawsuit, ...
