On Behalf of Themselves and Others Similarly Situated

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

IN RE: NATIONAL FOOTBALL
LEAGUE PLAYERS' CONCUSSION No. 2:12-md-02323-AB
INJURY LITIGATION MDL No. 2323
Kevin Turner and Shawn Wooden,
on b ehal f of t hems el ves and
ot hers s imil arl y s it uat ed,
Pl aint if f s ,
v.
Nat ional Fp ot b al l League and
NFL Prop ert ies , LLC,
s uc c es s or-in-int eres t t o
NFL Prop ert ies , Inc .,
Def endant s .
THIS DOCUMENT RELATES TO:
ALL ACTIONS
Civil Ac t ion No. 2:14-c v-00029-AB
MOTION TO INTERVENE BROUGHT BY
SEAN MOREY, ALAN FANECA, BEN HAMILTON, ROBERT ROYAL,
RODERICK CARTWRIGHT, JEFF ROHRER, AND SEAN CONSIDINE
Purs uant t o Federal Rul e of Civil Proc edure 24( a) , Sean Morey , Al an Fanec a, Ben
Hamil t on, Rob ert Roy al , Roderic k "Roc k" Cart wright , Jef f Rohrer, and Sean Cons idine ( t he
"Int ervenors") res p ec t f ul l y move t o int ervene as of right in Civil Ac t ion No. 2:14-c v-00029-AB
and MDL No. 2323. Al t ernat ivel y , t he Int ervenors req ues t p ermis s ive int ervent ion under Rul e
24( b ) .
For t he reas ons s et f ort h more f ul l y in t he ac c omp any ing Memorandum, whic h is
inc orp orat ed herein as if f ul l y s et f ort h, t he Int ervenors are ent it l ed t o int ervent ion as of right . As
p ut at ive c l as s memb ers , t he Int ervenors have an int eres t in t he out c ome of t his l it igat ion t hat wil l
b e imp aired b y res ol ut ion of t his c as e. Set t l ement negot iat ions are oc c urring at whic h t he
Case 2:14-cv-00029-AB Document 8 Filed 05/05/14 Page 1 of 85
s u b s t a n t i a l r i g h t s a n d i n t e r e s t s of I n t e r v e n or s a n d s i m i l a r l y s i t u a t e d c l a s s m e m b e r s a r e b e i n g
a ffe c t e d. Th e I n t e r v e n or s ' i n t e r e s t s a r e n ot a de q u a t e l y r e p r e s e n t e d b y t h e c u r r e n t p a r t i e s t o t h e
l i t i g a t i on . F i n a l l y , t h e I n t e r v e n or s ' a p p l i c a t i on i s t i m e l y . A c c or di n g l y , t h e I n t e r v e n or s a r e
e n t i t l e d t o p l a i n t i ff-i n t e r v e n or s t a t u s i n C i v i l A c t i on No. 2:14- c v -00029- A B. Se e F e d. R. C i v . P.
23 ( a ) ( 2) .
I n t h e a l t e r n a t i v e , b e c a u s e I n t e r v e n or s s h a r e w i t h t h e m a i n a c t i on c om m on q u e s t i on s of
l a w a n d fa c t , t h e y a r e e n t i t l e d t o p e r m i s s i v e i n t e r v e n t i on . Se e F e d. R. C i v . P. 23 ( b ) .
I n s a t i s fa c t i on of F e de r a l Ru l e of C i v i l Pr oc e du r e 24( c ) , t h e I n t e r v e n or s a t t a c h a s E x h i b i t
A Pl a i n t i ffs ' C l a s s A c t i on C om p l a i n t .
2
WHEREFORE, f o r t h e r e aso ns st at e d abo ve and i n t h e acco mpanyi ng Me mo r and um o f
Law, Se an Mo r e y, Alan Fane ca, Be n Hami lt o n, Ro be r t Ro yal, Ro d e r i ck C ar t wr i gh t , J e f f Ro h r e r ,
and Se an C o nsi d i ne r e spe ct f ully r e q ue st t h at t h i s C o ur t e nt e r an o r d e r gr ant i ng t h e m le ave t o
i nt e r ve ne .
Dat e d : May 5, 2014
Of C o unse l (Pr o Hac V i ce appli cat i o ns t o be submi t t e d ) :
St e ve n F. Mo lo
Th o mas J . Wi e gand
K ai t li n R. O'Do nne ll
Mo LOLAMK Er r LLP
540 Mad i so n Ave .
Ne w Yo r k, NY 10022
(212) 607-8160 (t e le ph o ne )
(212) 607-8161 (f acsi mi le )
smo lo@mo lo lamke n. co m
t wi e gand@mo lo lamke n. co m
ko d o nne ll@mo lo lamke n. co m
Er i c R. Ni t z
MOLOLAMK EN LLP
600 Ne w Hampsh i r e Ave . , N. W.
Wash i ngt o n, DC 20037
(202) 556-2000 (t e le ph o ne )
(202) 556-2001 (f acsi mi le )
e ni t z@mo lo lamke n. co m
Li nd a S. Mulle ni x
2305 Bar t o n C r e e k Blvd . , Uni t 2
Aust i n, TX 78735
(512) 263-9330 (t e le ph o ne )
lmulle ni x(a~ h o t mai l. co m
/ s/ Wi lli am T. Hanle
Wi lli am T. Hangle y
Mi ch e le D. Hangle y
HANGLEY ARONC HIC K SEGAL
PUDLIN SG SC HILLER
One Lo gan Sq uar e
18t h &C h e r r y St r e e t s
27t h Flo o r
Ph i lad e lph i a, PA 19103
(215) 496-7001 (t e le ph o ne )
(215) 568-0300 (f acsi mi le )
wh angle y@h angle y. co m
md h@h angle y. co m
At t o r ne ys f o r Int e r ve no r s
Case 2:14- c v -00029- AB Doc ument 1 F i l ed 01/06/14 Page 1 of 80
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
F OR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
IN RE: NATIONAL F OOTBALL No. 2:12- md -02323- AB
LEAGUE PLAYERS' CONCUSSION
INJURY LITIGATION MDL No. 2323
Kev i n Tur ner and Shawn Wood en,
on b ehal f of themsel v es and
other s si mi l ar l y si tuated ,
Pl ai nti f f s,
v .
Nati onal F ootb al l League and
NF L Pr op er ti es, LLC,
suc c essor- i n-i nter est to
NF L Pr op er ti es, Inc .,
Def end ants.
THIS DOCUMENT RELATES TO:
ALL ACTIONS
CIVIL ACTION NO:
PLAINTIF F S' CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
INTRODUCTION
1. Pl ai nti f f s b r i ng th i s ac ti on, p ur suant to Rul e 23 of th e F ed er al Rul es of
Ci v i l Pr oc ed ur e, on th ei r own b eh al f and as r ep r esentati v es of a c l ass of p er sons c onsi sti ng of
(1) Al l l i v i ng NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s wh o, p r i or to th e d ate of th e Pr el i mi nar y
Ap p r ov al and Cl ass Cer ti f i c ati on Or d er , r eti r ed , f or mal l y or i nf or mal l y , f r om
p l ay i ng p r of essi onal f ootb al l wi th t11e NF L or any Memb er Cl ub , i nc l ud i ng
Amer i c an F ootb al l League, Wor l d League of Amer i c an F ootb al l , NF L Eur op e
League and NF L Eur op a League p l ay er s, or wer e f or mer l y on any r oster ,
i nc l ud i ng p r eseason, r egul ar season; or p ostseason, of any suc h Memb er Cl ub or
l eague and wh o no l onger ar e und er c ontr ac t to a Memb er Cl ub and az e not
seek i ng ac ti v e emp l oy ment as p l ay er s wi th any Memb er Cl ub , wh eth er si gned to
a r oster or si gned to any p r ac ti c e sq uad , d ev el op mental sq uad , or tax i sq uad of a
Memb er Cl ub (" Reti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s" ); (2) Auth or i z ed r ep r esentati v es,
or d er ed b y a c our t or oth er of f i c i al of c omp etent j ur i sd i c ti on und er ap p l i c ab l e
state l aw, of d ec eased or l egal l y i nc ap ac i tated or i nc omp etent Reti r ed NF L
F ootb al l Pl ay er s (" 3~ ep r esentati v e Cl ai mants" ); and (3) S p ouses, p ar ents, c h i l d r en
wh o ar e d ep end ents, or any oth er p er sons wh o p r op er l y und er ap p l i c ab l e state l aw
asser t th e r i gh t to sue i nd ep end entl y or d er i v ati v el y b y r eason of th ei r r el ati onsh i p
wi th a Reti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er or d ec eased Reti r ed . NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er
(" Der i v ati v e Cl ai mants" ).
2. Pl ai nti f f s b r i ng th i s ac ti on i nd i v i d ual l y and as Cl ass and S ub c l ass
r ep r esentati v es agai nst th e Nati onal F ootb al l League and NF L Pr op er ti es, LLC (togeth er , " NF L
Def end ants" or " Def end ants" ) (i ) to ob tai n med i c al moni tox i ng and tr eatment f or neur oc ogni ti v e
i mp ai r ment i n Ref i r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s, (u) to r ec ov er monetar y awar d s f or Reti r ed NF L
F ootb al l Pl ay er s, th ei r Rep r esentati v e Cl ai mants, and th ei r Der i v ati v e Cl ai mants f or i nj ur i es
sustai ned b y th e Reti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s as a p r ox i mate r esul t of p l ay i ng p r of essi onal
f ootb al l , suc h as d ementi a, Al z h ei mer ' s Di sease (" Al z h ei mer ' s" ), Par k i nson' s Di sease
(" Par k i nson' s" ), Amy otr op h i c Later al S c l er osi s (" ALS" ) and Death wi th Ch r oni c Tr aumati c
Enc ep h al op ath y (" CTE" ), and (i i i ) to estab l i sh an ed uc ati on f und to f und ed uc ati on p r ogr ams
p r omoti ng saf ety and i nj ur y p r ev enti on wi th r esp ec t to f ootb al l p l ay er s, i nc l ud i ng saf ety-r el ated
i ni ti ati v es i n y outh f ootb al l , and th e ed uc ati on of Reti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s r egar d i ng th e
NF L's med i c al and d i sab i l i ty b enef i ts programs and oth er ed uc ati onal programs and i ni ti ati v es.
Th e al l egati ons h erei n, ex c ept as to th e Pl ai nti f f s, are b ased on i nf ormati on and b el i ef .
3. Th i s ac ti on ax i ses f rom th e ef f ec ts of mi l d traumati c b rai n i nj uri es
( ref erenc ed h erei n as "MTSI") c aused b y th e c onc ussi v e and sub -c onc ussi v e i mpac ts th at h av e
af f l i c ted f ormer prof essi onal f ootb al l pl ay ers i n th e NF L. F or many d ec ad es, ev i d enc e h as l i nk ed
repeti ti v e NT~BI to l ong- term neurol ogi c al prob l ems i n many sports, i nc l ud i ng f ootb al l . Th e
NF L, as th e organi z er, mark eter, and f ac e of th e most popul ar sport i n th e U ni ted States, i n
wh i c h MTBI i s a regul ar oc c urrenc e and i n wh i c h pl ay ers are at ri sk f or MTSI, was aware of th e
ev i d enc e and th e ri sk s assoc i ated wi th repeti ti v e traumati c b rai n i nj uri es, b ut d el i b eratel y i gnored
and ac ti v el y c onc eal ed th e i nf ormati on f i om th e Pl ai nti f f s and al l oth ers wh o parti c i pated i n
organi z ed f ootb al l at a111ev el s.
PARTIES
4. Pl ai nti f f Sh awn Wood en i s a resi d ent and c i ti z en of th e State of F l ori d a,
resi d i ng i n Pemb rok e Pi nes, F l ori d a. Mr. Wood en i s a reti red NF L f ootb al l pl ay er. He pl ay ed
prof essi onal f ootb al l i n th e NF L f i om 1996- 2004. He pl ay ed as a saf ety f or th e Mi ami Dol ph i ns
and th e Ch i c ago Beax s. Duri ng h i s c ax eer i n th e NF L h e ex peri enc ed repeated traumati c h ead
i mpac ts. Af ter h i s reti rement f rom f ootb al l h e h as ex peri enc ed neurol ogi c al sy mptoms. Mr.
Wood en h a. s not b een d i agnosed wi th any neuroc ogni ti v e i mpai rment, b ut i s at i nc reased ri sk of
d ev el opi ng d ementi a, Al z h ei mer's, Park i nson's, or ALS, as a prox i mate resul t of h i s h av i ng
pl ay ed prof essi onal f ootb al l i n th e NF L, and , th eref ore, i s i n need of med i c al moni tori ng.
5 . Pl ai nti f f Marc i a Wood en i s marri ed to Sh awn Wood en and i s a resi d ent of
F l ori d a. Mrs. Wood en i s a Deri v ati v e Cl ai mant.
2
6. Pl ai nti ffs Bl ake Wood en, Shane Wood en, Brooke Wood en, and T ai y a
Wood en are Shawn Wood en's c hi l d ren. T hey resi d e i n F l ori d a and are Deri v ati v e Cl ai mants.
7. Pl ai nti ff Kev i n T urner i s a resi d ent and c i ti z en of the State of Al abama,
resi d i ng i n Bi rmi ngham, Al abama. Mr. T urner i s a reti red NF L footbal l p l ay er. He p l ay ed
p rofessi onal footbal l i n the NF L from 1992- 1994 for the New Engl and Patri ots and from 1995 -
1999 for the Phi l ad el p hi a Eagl es as a ful l bac k. Mr. T urner was d i agnosed wi th ALS i n June
2010.
8. Pl ai nti ffs Col e T urner, Nol an T urner and Natal i e T urner are Kev i n.
T urner's c hi l d ren. T hey resi d e i n Bi rmi ngham, Al abama. T hey are Deri v ati v e Cl ai mants.
9. Defend ant NF L, whi c h mai ntai ns i ts offi c es at 345 Park Av enue, New
York, New York, i s an uni nc orp orated assoc i ati on c onsi sti ng of sep aratel y owned and
i nd ep end entl y -op erated p rofessi onal footbal l teams whi c h op erate out of many d i fferent c i ti es
and states wi thi n thi s c ountry . T he NF L i s engaged i n i nterstate c ommerc e i n the busi ness of,
among other thi ngs, p romoti ng, op erati ng, organi z i ng, and regul ati ng the major p rofessi onal
footbal l l eague i n the U ni ted . States. NF L regul arl y c ond uc ts busi ness i n Pennsy l v ani a and i n
thi s jud i c i al d i stri c t.
10. T he NF L i s not, and has not been, the emp l oy er of the Pl ai nti ffs Shawn
Wood en or Kev i n T urner, who were emp l oy ed d uri ng thei r resp ec ti v e c areers i n p rofessi onal
footbal l by the i nd ep end ent c l ubs ( herei nafter "T eams" or "Cl ubs") set forth abov e. T he U ni ted
States Sup reme Court hel d i n Ameri c an Need l e, I nc . v . NF L, 130 S. Ct. 2201, 2212- 13 ( 2010),
that eac h team that i s a member of the NF L i s a l egal l y d i sti nc t and sep arate enti ty from both the
other teams and the NF L i tsel f.
3
Case 2:14- c v -00029- AB Doc ument 1 F i l ed 01/06/14 Page 5 of 8d
11. Def end ant NF L Pr op er ti es, LLC, as th e suc c essor- i n-i nter est to Nati onal
F ootb al l League Pr op er ti es I nc . ("NF L Pr op er ti es") , i s a l i mi ted l i ab i l i ty c omp any or gani z ed and
ex i sti ng und er th e l aws of th e S tate of Del awar e wi th i ts h ead q uar ter s i n th e S tate of New Y or k .
NF L Pr op er ti es i s engaged i n, among oth er ac ti v i ti es, ap p r ov i ng, l i c ensi ng and p r omoti ng
eq ui p ment used b y al l th e Nati onal F ootb al l League teams. NF L Pr op er ti es r egul ar l y c ond uc ts
b usi ness i n Pennsy l v ani a and i n th i s j ud i c i al d i str i c t.
12. On i nf or mati on and b el i ef , NF L Def end ants' p ol i c i es and d ec i si on- mak i ng
r el ev ant to i ts c ond uc t and th e r i sk s of l atent b r ai n i nj ur y al l eged h er ei n, oc c ur r ed p r i mar i l y at i ts
c or p or ate of f i c es i n New Y or k Ci ty .
JURI S DI CTI ON AND VENUE
13 . Th i s Cour t h as or i gi nal j ur i sd i c ti on p ur suant to 28 U. S . C. 13 3 2(d ) (2) ,
b ec ause th e amount i n c ontr ov er sy ex c eed s th e sum of $ 5, 000, 000, ex c l usi v e of i nter est and
c osts, and i s a c l ass ac ti on i n wh i c h memb er s of th e p r op osed Cl ass and S ub c l asses of Pl ai nti f f s
ar e c i ti z ens of a S tate d i f f er ent f r om th e Def end ants.
14. Th i s Cour t h as p er sonal j ur i sd i c ti on ov er th e Def end ants b ec ause th ey
c ond uc t sub stanti al and c onti nuous b usi ness i n th e Commonweal th of Pennsy l v ani a.
15. Venue i s p r op er i n th i s d i str i c t p ur suant to 28 U. S . C. 13 91(a) and (6) ,
b ec ause a sub stanti al p ar t of th e ev ents or omi ssi ons th at gi v e r i se to th e c l ai ms oc c ur r ed wi th i n
th e Commonweal th of Pennsy l v ani a and th i s d i str i c t, b ec ause th e Def end ants c ond uc t a
sub stanti al p ar t of th ei r b usi ness wi th i n th i s d i str i c t, and b ec ause th e Jud i c i al Panel on M ul ti -
Di str i c t Li ti gati on d ec i d ed to c onsol i d ate and tx ansf er th ese c ases to th i s Cour t.
4
CLASS ACTION ALLEGATIONS
16. Pl ai nti f f s b r i ng th i s ac ti on p ur suant to Rul e 23 of th e F ed er al Rul es of
Ci v i l Pr oc ed ur e, on th ei r own b eh al f and as r ep r esentati v es of a Cl ass c onsi sti ng of
(1) Al l l i v i ng NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s wh o, p r i or to th e d ate of th e Pr el i mi nar y
Ap p r ov al and Cl ass Cer ti f i c ati on Or d er , r eti r ed , f or mal l y or i nf or mal l y , f r om
p l ay i ng p r of essi onal f ootb al l wi th th e NF L or any Memb er Cl ub , i nc l ud i ng
Amer i c an F ootb al l League, Wor l d League of Amer i c an F ootb al l , NF L Eur op e
League and NF L Eur op a League p l ay er s, or wer e f or mer l y on any r oster ,
i nc l ud i ng p r eseason, r egul ar season, or p ostseason, of any suc h Memb er Cl ub or
l eague and wh o no l onger ar e und er c ontr ac t to a Memb er Cl ub and ar e not
seek i ng ac ti v e~ emp l oy ment as p l ay er s wi th any Memb er Cl ub , wh eth er si gned to
a r oster or si gned to any p r ac ti c e sq uad , d ev el op mental sq uad , or tax i sq uad of a
Memb er Cl ub (" Reti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s" ); (2) Auth or i z ed r ep r esentati v es,
' or d er ed b y a c oi u- t or oth er of f i c i al of c omp etent j ur i sd i c ti on und er ap p l i c ab l e
state l aw, of d ec eased or l egal l y i nc ap ac i tated or i nc omp etent Reti r ed NF L
F ootb al l Pl ay er s (" Rep r esentati v e Cl ai mants" ); and (3) Sp ouses, p ar ents, c h i l d r en
wh o ar e d ep end ents, or any oth er p er sons p r op er l y und er ap p l i c ab l e state l aw
asser t th e r i gh t to sue i nd ep end entl y or d er i v ati v el y b y r eason of th ei r r el ati onsh i p
wi th a Reti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er or d ec eased Reti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er
(" Der i v ati v e Cl ai mants" ).
17 . Pwr suant to Rul e 23 of th e F ed er al Rul es of Ci v i l Pr oc ed ur e, th e f ol l owi ng
Pl ai nti f f s b r ui g th i s ac ti on on b eh al f of th e f ol l owi ng Sub c l asses.
a. Pl ai nti f f Sh awn Wood en b r i ngs th i s c ase i nd i v i d ual l y and on
b eh al f of Sub c l ass 1, wh i c h sh a11 c onsi st of al l Reti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s wh o wer e
not d i agnosed wi th d ementi a, Al z h ei mer ' s Di sease, Par k i nson' s Di sease, ALS and l or
Death wi th CTE p r i or to th e d ate of th e Pz el i mi nar y Ap p r ov al and Cl ass Cer ti f i c ati on
Or d er and th ei r Rep r esentati v e Cl ai mants and Der i v ati v e Cl ai mants.
b . Pl ai nti f f Kev i n Tur ner b r i ngs th i s c ase i nd i v i d ual l y and on b eh al f
of Sub c l ass 2, wh i c h sh al l c onsi st of al l Reti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s wh o wer e
d i agnosed wi th d ementi a, Al z h ei mer ' s Di sease, Par k i nson' s Di sease, ALS and l or Death
wi th CTE p r i or to th e d ate of th e Pr el i mi nar y Ap p r ov al and Cl ass Cer ti f i c ati on Or d er and
Case 2:14- c v -00029- AB Doc ument Z F i l ed 01/06/14 Page 7 of 80
th ei r R ep r esentati v e Cl ai mants and Der i v ati v e Cl ai mants, and th e R ep r esentati v e
Cl ai mants of d ec eased R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s wh o wer e d i agnosed wi th
d ementi a, Al z h ei mer ' s Di sease, Par k i nson' s Di sease, ALS aud l or Death wi th CTE p r i or
to d eath or wh o d i ed p r i or to th e d ate of th e Pr el i mi nar y Ap p r ov al and Cl ass
Cer ti fi c ati on Or d er and r ec ei v ed ap ost- mor tem d i agnosi s of CTE.
18. Pl ai nti ffs, th e Cl ass and eac h of th e Sub c l asses b r i ng th i s ac ti on for
eq ui tab l e and i nj unc ti v e r el i ef p ur suant to F ed er al R ul e of Ci v i l Pr oc ed ur e 23 ( a) ( 1- 4) & ( b ) ( 2)
( wi th a r i gh t of op t- out) or al ter nati v el y p ux suant to R ul e 23 { b ) ( 3 ) to c r eate aCour t=sup er v i sed
fund to p r ov i d e med i c al moni tor i ng and tr eatment for neur oc ogni ti v e i mp ai r ment to assur e th at
R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s r ec ei v e a p r omp t and p r op er d i agnosi s of and h eatment for
neur oc ogni ti v e i mp ai r ment, and to p r ov i d e ed uc ati on p r ogr ams p r omoti ng safety and i nj ur y
p r ev enti on i n footb al l p l ay er s, and ed uc ati on of r eti r ed NF L p l ay er s r egar d i ng th e NF L' s med i c al
and d i sab i l i ty b enefi ts p r ogr ams and oth er ed uc ati on p r ogr ams and i ni ti ati v es.
19. Pl ai nti ffs, th e Cl ass and eac h of th e Sub c l asses, b r i ng th i s ac ti on for
c omp ensator y .d amages p ur suant to F ed er al R ul e of Ci v i l Pr oc ed ur e 23 ( b ) ( 3} . R eti r ed NF L
F ootb al l Pl ay er s ar e at i nc r eased r i sk for and /or h av e suffer ed p er sonal i nj ur y as a d i r ec t and
p r ox i mate r esul t of th ei r h av i ng p l ay ed p r ofessi onal footb al l , for wh i c h an awar d of d amages i s
ap p r op r i ate to th em or th ei r R ep r esentati v e Cl ai mants. I n ad d i ti on, th e Der i v ati v e Cl ai mants
h av e suffer ed d amages as a d i r ec t and p r ox i mate r esul t of th e fac t th at th e R eti r ed NR L F ootb al l
Pl ay er s to wh om th ey ar e r el ated p l ay ed p r ofessi onal footb al l , for wh i c h an awar d of d au~ ages i s
ap p r op r i ate.
20. The named p l ai nti f f s her ei n ar e member s of the Cl ass and eac h S ubc l ass
they seek to r ep r esent. Pl ai nti f f S hawn Wood en i s a member of S ubc l ass 1. Pl ai nti f f Kev i n
Tur ner i s a member of S ubc l ass 2.
21. ' the Cl ass and eac h S ubc l ass i nc l ud es thousand s of i nd i v i d ual s who ar e
geogr ap hi c al l y wi d el y d i sp er sed , and ther ef or e the member s of the Cl ass and S ubc l asses ar e eac h
so numer ous that j oi nd er of al l member s i s i mp r ac ti c abl e.
22. Ther e ar e q uesti ons of l aw and f ac t c ommon to the member s of the Cl ass
and S ubc l asses.
23. Pl ai nti f f s' c l ai ms ar e ty p i c al of the c l ai ms of the member s of the Cl ass and
the r esp ec ti v e S ubc l asses they seek to r ep r esent, i n that' eac h named Pl ai nti f f and all member s. of
the p r op osed S ubc l ass ar e R eti r ed NF L F ootbal l Pl ay er s or asser t r i ghts and c l ai ms as a
" Der i v ati v e Cl ai mant" or " R ep r esentati v e Cl ai mant" of a R eti r ed NF L F ootbal l Pl ay er , as these
ter ms ar e d ef i ned i n the p r op osed Cl ass and S ubc l ass d ef uuti ons.
24. In the c ase of the p r op osed med i c al moni tor i ng p r ogr am, whi c h i nc l ud es
basel i ne assessments, and an ed uc ati on f und , the r ep r esentati v e Pl ai nti f f s and the S ubc l ass
member s as a whol e wi l l benef i t f r om suc h r el i ef , and thei r i nter ests ar e al i gned , bec ause they
r eti r ed f r om p l ay i ng p r of essi onal f ootbal l f or the NF L, and bec ause of thei r c onseq uenti al
i nc r eased r i sk of neur oc ogni ti v e i mp ai r ment, i nc l ud i ng ALS , Al z hei mer ' s, Paz k i nson' s, and
d ementi a. The d i agnosti c testi ng, ed uc ati on, and c ol l ec ti on of d ata wi l l wor k to benef i t the entu e
Cl ass.
25. Pl ai nti f f s wi l l f ai r l y and ad eq uatel y p r otec t the i nter ests of the p r op osed
Cl ass and S ubc l asses.
7
26. Q uesti ons of l aw and fac t c ommon to th e members of th e Cl ass and
S ubc l asses p red omi nate ov er any q uesti ons affec ti ng onl y i nd i v i d ual members of th e Cl ass or
S ubc l asses. Th ese i nc l ud e th e fol l owi ng:
a. Wh eth er Pl ai nti ffs and th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses are enti tl ed to
i nj unc ti v e rel i ef i n th e form of aCourt-sup erv i sed med i c al moni tori ng p rogram and an
ed uc ati on fund ;
b. Wh eth er Pl ai nti ffs and th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses are enti tl ed to
c omp ensati on for neuroc ogni ti v e i mp ai rment, l i k e ALS , Al z h ei mer' s, Park i nson' s,
d ementi a, and Death wi th CTE, p rox i matel y c aused by i nj uri es sustai ned wh i l e p l ayi ng
p rofessi onal footbal l i n th e NF L;
c . Wh eth er th e Defend ants h av e any affi rmati v e d efenses th at c an be
l i ti gated on a c l asswi d e basi s;
d . Wh eth er th e Defend ants' c ond uc t was torti ous and c aused
members of th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses to be at i nc reased ri sk of neuroc ogni ti v e
unp ai rment;
e. Wh eth er med i c al moni tori ng i s reasonabl y nec essary for R eti red
NF L F ootbal l Pl ayers i n th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses to obtai n earl y d i agnosi s of
neuroc ogni ti v e i mp ai rment;
f. Wh eth er suc h med i c al moni tori ng i s beyond th e routi ne med i c al
c are p rov i d ed to men of a si mi l ar age as members of th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses; and
g. Wh eth er earl y d i agnosi s of neuroc ogni ti v e i mp ai rment wi l l l ead to
i mp rov ed treatment for th e med i c al , c ogni ti v e, p syc h ol ogi c al and beh av i oral seq uel ae of
th e same.
8
Case 2:14- c v -00029- AB Doc ument 1 F i l ed 01/06/14 Page 10 of 80 ~
27. The members of the Cl ass and S ubc l asses are asc ertai nabl e.
28. A c l ass ac ti on i s sup eri or to other av ai l abl e method s for fai x l y and
effi c i entl y ad j ud i c ati ng the c ontrov ersy .
F ACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
The NF L
29. The NF L generates ap p rox i matel y $ 9, 3 00, 000, 000 i n gross i nc ome p er
y ear.
3 0. The organi z ati on ov ersees Ameri c a' s most p op ul ar sp ec tator sp ort, ac ti ng
as a trad e assoc i ati on for the benefi t of the 3 2 i nd ep end entl y op erated Teams. The NF L' s
av erage attend anc e p er game i n 2009 was 67, 5 09.
3 1. The NF L has, si nc e i ts i nc ep ti on i n the fi rst hal f of the twenti eth c entury ,
gov erned and p romoted the game of footbal l , and as referenc ed i n d etai l herei n, i t was c reated
and establ i shed to ac t as the gov erni ng bod y , establ i shi ng rul es rel ated to p l ay er heal th and
safety , League p ol i c i es, and team ownershi p .
3 2. The NF L generates rev enue mostl y through mark eti ng sp onsorshi p s,
l i c ensi ng merc hand i se, and by sel l i ng nati onal broad c asti ng ri ghts to the games. The Teams
share a p erc entage of the League' s ov eral l rev enue.
3 3 . The NF L earns bi l l i ons of d ol l ars from i ts tel ec asti ng d eal s wi th, i nter a1i a,
ES PN ( $ 1.1 bi l l i on) , Duec TV ( $ 1 bi l l i on) , NBC ( $ 65 0 mi l l i on) , F ox ( $ 712.5 mi l l i on) , and CBS
( $ 622.5 mi l l i on) .
3 4. Annual l y , the NF L red i stri butes ap p rox i matel y $ 4 bi l l i on i n rad i o,
tel ev i si on, and d i gi tal earni ngs to the Teams or ap p rox i matel y $ 125 mi l l i on p er Team. Those
rev enue numbers show no si gn of d ec l i ni ng and hav e i nc reased si nc e 2009.
3 5 . The NF L enj oy s p ar ti al monop ol y p ower thr ough au anti- tr ust exemp ti on
gr anted v i a the f ed er al S p or ts Br oad c asti ng Ac t that al l ows the NF L to sel l tel ev i si on r i ghts f or
a113 2 teams ~ as a si ngl e uni t.
The NF L's I nf l uenc e
3 6. I n p ar t b ec ause of thei r f i nanc i al p ower , monop ol y status, and hi gh
v i si b i l i ty , the NF L Def end ants hav e had enor mous i nf l uenc e ov er the game of f ootb al l at al l .
l ev el s of the game.
3 7. Ov er many d ec ad es, the NF L Def end ants' i nf l uenc e has b een exp and ed
thr ough thei r use of the med i a. . Thr ough NF L f i l ms, the NF L Networ k, and www. NF L. c om, the
NF L Def end ants hav e p r omoted NF L f ootb al l v i a ev er y mass c ommuni c ati on med i um av ai l ab l e.
The NF L's Use of the Med i a
3 8. Par t of the NF L Def end ants' str ategy to p r omote NF L f ootb al l i s to gl or i f y
the ac c omp l i shments of i nd i v i d ual s and Teams, not d i sc our age aggr essi v eness and c ol l i si ons on
the f i el d ; and si mul taneousl y make the f i aud ul ent r ep r esentati on that " getti ng y our b el l r ung,"
" b ei ng d i nged " and p utti ng b i g hi ts on other s d oes not ser i ousl y thr eaten one's heal th.
3 9. As a r esul t of thi s str ategy , the NF L Def end ants hav e p r op agated the f al se
my th that c ol l i si ons of al l ki nd s, many of whi c h l ead to shor t- ter m and l ong- ter m neur ol ogi c al
d amage to c w. r ent and f or mer NF L p l ay er s, ar e an ac c ep tab l e, d esi r ed , and natur al c onsequenc e
of the game, and a measur e of the c our age and her oi sm of those i nv ol v ed i n f ootb al l at ev er y
l ev el of the game.
40. As a r esul t of thi s str ategy , and the ov er whel mi ng i nf l uenc e of the NF L
Def end ants at ev er y l ev el of the game, the NF L Def end ants hav e gener ated f or themsel v es and
other s b i l l i ons of d ol l ar s ev er y y ear .
10
NF L F i l ms .
41. NF L F i l ms i s an agent and i nstr umental i ty of th e NF L Def end ants d ev oted
to p r od uc i ng p r omoti onal f i l ms f or th e NF L. NF L F i l ul s i s known f or th e sty l e i t f eaf ur es i n al l
of i ts p r od uc ti ons, c ap tur i ng th e NF L games, p l ay s, p l ay er s, and ov er al l NF L env i r onment i n an
ar ti sti c , p r omoti onal f ash i on. NF L F i l ms' c i nematogr ap h y i s i ntend ed to c r eate c omp el l i ng
stor y l i nes and h i gh l i gh t c er tai n asp ec ts of th e game. NF L F i l ms takes v i ewer s r i gh t i nto th e
f ootb al l ac ti on wi th c l ose- up s and sl ow moti on d ep i c ti on of al l th e h ar d-h i tti ng ac ti on tatti ng
p l ac e on th e f ootb al l f i el d .
42. Th e NF L f oc uses on c ol l i si ons as one of th e NF L' s gx eatest sel l i ng p oi nts:
th e f ootb al l p l ay er as gl ad i ator . To ad v anc e th e NF L Def end ants' p ur p ose, NF L F i l ms h as
c r eated numer ous h i gh l i gh t f eatur es th at f oc us sol el y on th e h ar d est- h i ts th at take p l ac e on th e
f ootb al l f i el d .
43. Th e l i st of v i d eos c r eated b y NF L F i l ms gl or i f y i ng aggr essi v e p l ay s
i nc l ud es, b ut i s not l i mi ted to, th e f ol l owi ng ti tl es: NF L: Moment of Imp ac t ( 2007 ) ; NF L' s 100
G r eatest Tac kl es ( 1995 ) ; Bi g Bl oc ks and Ki ng S i z e H i ts ( 1990) ; Th e Best. of Th und eY and
Destr uc ti on NF L' s H ar d est H i ts; NF L F i l ms V i d eo: S tr i ke F or c e ( 1989) ; Th e NF L' s G Yeatest
H i ts ( 1989) ; Cr unc h Cour se; Cr unc h Cour se II ( 1988) ; Cr unc h Master s; In th e CYUnc h ( 198' x ;
NF L Roc ks; NF L Roc ks: Ex tr eme F ootb al l .
44. NF L F i l ms c r eated th e "Top Ten Most F ear ed Tac kl er s" ser i es th at was
sh own on th e NF L Networ k, and i t now h a. s i ts own sec ti on on th e NF L' s web si te. Th ese
f eatur es c omp r i se v i d eos h i gh l i gh ti ng th e most aggz essi v e tac kl er s th e NF L h as ev er seen.
45 . Ai i ex p l i c i t ex amp l e of h ow th e NF L Def end ants mar keted th e aggr essi v e
natur e of th e NF L c an b e f ound on th e b ac k c ov er of th e 2007 f i l m "Moment of Imp ac t. " Th e
11
bac k c ov er of "Moment of Impac t" ad v er ti ses th e fi l m as fol l ow s: "F i r st you h ear th e br eath i ng,
th en you feel th e w i nd c omi ng th r ough your h el met' s ear h ol e. Sud d enl y you' r e d ow n, and
you' r e l ooki ng th r ough your h el met' s ear h ol e. Pai n? T h at' s for tomor r ow mor ni ng. R i gh t now
you' v e gotta foc us foc us on th e pl ay and tr y not to foc us on th e nex t moment of i mpac t " T h e
enti r e message d eemph asi z es th e ac ute and c h r oni c r i sks assoc i ated w i th th ese h ead i mpac ts.
46. NF L F i l ms, th er efor e, ad v anc es th e NF L Defend ants' agend a to pr omote
th e most aggr essi v e aspec ts of NF L footbal l and to ur ge pl ayer s at ev er y l ev el of th e game to
d i sr egar d th e r esul ts of h ead i mpac ts.
47. T h e NF L Defend ants str ategi c al l y uti l i z e NF L F i l ms' c i nematogr aph y and
sound to ex agger ate and emph asi z e h ar d h i ts to th e h ead . T h e magni tud e of th e h i t i s
emph asi z ed by th e sl ow -moti on footage and th e on- fi el d mi c r oph ones. Har d h i ts c aptur ed by
NF L F i l ms take on th e appear anc e of th e sl ow- moti on c r ash safety test v i d eos th at appear i n
many c ar c ommer c i al s w i th pl ayer s taki ng on th e r ol e of th e c r ash- test d ummy.
48. T h e NF L Defend ants, th r ough NF L F i l ms, pr omotes a c ul tur e i n w h i c h
pl ayi ng h ur t or w i th an i nj ur y i s both ex pec ted and ac c l ai med i n i ts myth i c al gl ad i ator w or l d .
T h r ough NF L F i l ms, th e NF L h as pr od uc ed v i d eos th at pr ai se pl ayer s w h o embod y th e eth os of
pl ayi ng h ur t ( for ex ani pl e, "T op T en G utsi est Per for manc es") . T h i s fi l m and oth er s l i ke i t
c el ebr ate pl ayer s' abi l i ty to pl ay th r ough th e pai n and i nj ur y and pr omote au ex pec tati on among
pl ayer s and fans th at pl ayer s must and often d o pl ay th r ough any i nj ur y, i nc l ud i ng MT BI.
49. T h i s i s par t of th e ov er al l c ul tur e i n w h i c h NF L pl ayer s ar e enc our aged to
pl ay d espi te an i nj uz y, i n par t, bec ause fai l ur e to pl ay th r ough an i nj ur y c r eates th e r i sk of l osi ng
pl ayi ng ti me, a star ti ng posi ti on, and possi bl y a c ar eer .
12
promote.
Case 2 : 1 4 -c v -0002 9- AB Doc ument 1 F i l ed 01 /06/1 4 Page 1 4 of 80
50. W i th i n th i s c ul ture, th e NF L Def end ants prof i t f rom th e aggressi on th ey
51 . T h i s c ul ture of aggressi on, sponsored and enc ouraged by th e NF L
Def end ants, c an be d emonstrated th rough many ex ampl es.
52 . F or i nstanc e, af ter j oi ni ng th e NF L, th e Cl ev el and Browns were l ed by
H al l of F amer O tto Grah am to many c onsec uti v e c h ampi onsh i ps. T h e med i a and th e NF L
management at th e ti me were wel l aware of th e targeted bl ows to th e h ead suf f ered by Grah am,
wi th resul ti ng l oss of c onsc i ousness. Nev erth el ess, Grah am was enc ouraged to c ome bac k and
pl ay i n eac h game.
53. In th e d ec ad es of th e 1 980s, 1 990s and 2 000s, pl ay ers were l aud ed by th e
NF L Def end ants f or th ei r "h ead h unti ng" ski l l s. As rec entl y as O c tober 2 01 0, th e NF L f i ned
some pl ay ers f or wh at i t c h arac teri z ed as "i l l egal and d angerous h i ts" and y et, notwi th stand i ng
th ose f i nes, i n an ef f ort to prof i t, th e NF L Def end ants sol d ph otos of th e i l l egal h i ts on i ts websi te
f or between $54 .95 and $2 4 9.95.
H ead Ini uri es, Conc ussi ons, and Neurol ogi c al Damage
54 . Med i c al sc i enc e h as known f or many d ec ad es th at repeti ti v e j arri ng of th e
h ead or i mpac t to th e h ead c an c ause MT BI wi th a h ei gh tened ri sk of l ong- term, c h roni c
neuroc ogni ti v e seq uel ae.
55. T h e NI'L Def end ants h av e known or sh oul d h av e known f or many y ears
th at th e Ameri c an. Assoc i ati on of Neurol ogi c al Surgeons ( th e "AANS") h as d ef i ned a c onc ussi on
as "a c l i ni c al sy nd rome c h arac teri z ed by an i mmed i ate and transi ent al terati on i n brai n f unc ti on,
i nc l ud i ng an al terati on of mental status and l ev el of c onsc i ousness, resul ti ng f rom mec h ani c al
f orc e or trauma." T h e AANS d ef i nes traumati c brai n i nj ury ("T BI") as:
1 3
a bl ow or j ol t to th e h ead , or a p enetr ati ng h ead i nj ur y th at d i sr up ts th e
nor mal f unc ti on of th e br ai n. TBI c an r esul t wh en th e h ead sud d enl y and
v i ol entl y h i ts an obj ec t, or wh en an obj ec t p i er c es th e sk ul l and enter s
br ai n ti ssue. Sy mp toms of a TSI c an be mi l d , mod er ate or sev er e,
d ep end i ng on th e ex tent of d amage to th e br ai n. Mi l d c ases may r esul t i n
a br i ef c h ange i n mental state or c onsc i ousness, wh i l e sev er e c ases may
r esul t i n ex tend ed p er i od s of unc onsc i ousness, c oma or ev en d eath .
56. Th e NF L Def end ants h av e k nown or sh oul d h av e k nown. f or many y ear s
th at MTBI gener al l y oc c ur s wh en th e h ead ei th er ac c el er ates r ap i d l y and th en i s stop p ed , or i s
r otated r ap i d l y . Th e r esul ts f r eq uentl y i nc l ud e, among oth er th i ngs, c onf usi on, bl ur r ed v i si on,
memor y l oss, nausea, and someti mes unc onsc i ousness.
57. Th e NF L Def end ants h av e l ai own or sh oul d h av e k nown f or many y ear s
th at med i c al ev i d enc e h as sh own th at sy mp toms of MTBI c an ap p ear h our s or d ay s af ter th e
i nj ur y , i nd i c ati ng th at th e i nj ur ed p ar r y h as not h eal ed f r om th e i ni ti al bl ow.
58. Th e NF L Def end ants h av e k nown or sh oul d h av e k nown f or many y ear s
th at onc e a p er son suf f er s an MTBI, h e i s up to f our ti mes mor e l i k el y to sustai n a sec ond one.
Ad d i ti onal l y , af ter suf f er i ng ev en a si ngl e sub-c onc ussi v e or c onc ussi v e bl ow, a l esser bl ow may
c ause MTBI, and th e i nj ur ed p er son r eq ui r es mor e ti me to r ec ov er . Th i s goes to th e h ear t of th e
p r obl em: p l ay er s bei ng unawar e of th e ser i ous r i sk p osed to th ei r l ong- ter m c ogni ti v e h eal th .
th at c l i ni c al and neur op ath ol ogi c al stud i es by some of th e nati on' s f or emost ex p er ts d emonstr ate
th at mul ti p l e h ead i nj ur i es or c oi z c ussi ons sustai ned d ur i ng an NF L p l ay er ' s c ar eer c an c ause
sev er e c ogni ti v e p r obl ems suc h as d ep r essi on and ear l y- onset d ementi a.
th at p ubl i sh ed p eer-r ev i ewed sc i enti f i c stud i es h av e sh own th at r ep eated tr aumati c h ead i mp ac ts
( i nc l ud i ng sub-c onc ussi v e bl ows and c onc ussi ons) c ause ongoi ng and l atent br ai n i nj ur y . Th ese
14
i nj ur i es hav e been d oc umented and assoc i ated w i th sp or ts-r el ated head i mp ac ts i n both footbal l
and box i ng.
61. The NF L Defend ants hav e know n or shoul d hav e know n for many year s
that new op athol ogy stud i es, br ai n i magi ng tests, and neur op syc hol ogi c al tests on many for mer
footbal l p l ayer s, i nc l ud i ng for mer NF L p l ayer s, hav e establ i shed that footbal l p l ayer s w ho
sustai n r ep eti ti v e head i mp ac ts w hi l e p l ayi ng the game hav e suffer ed and c onti nue to suffer br ai n
i nj l ui es that r esul t i n any one or mor e of the fol l ow i ng c ond i ti ons: ear l y- onset of Al z hei mer ' s,
d ementi a, d ep r essi on, d efi c i ts i n c ogni ti v e func ti oni ng, r ed uc ed p r oc essi ng sp eed , attenti on, and
r easoni ng, l oss of memor y, sl eep l essness, mood sw i ngs, p er sonal i ty c hanges, and the d ebi l i tati ng
and l atent d i sease know n as CTE. The l atter c ond i ti on i nv ol v es the sl ow bui l d- up of the Tau
p r otei n w i thi n the br ai n ti ssue that c auses d i mi ni shed br ai n func ti on, p r ogr essi v e c ogni ti v e
d ec l i ne, and many of the symp toms l i sted abov e. CTE i s al so i s assoc i ated w i th an i nc r eased r i sk
of sui c i d e.
62. The NF L Defend ants hav e know n or shoul d hav e know n for many year s
fi hat CTE i s found i n athl etes, i nc l ud i ng footbal l p l ayer s and box er s, w i th a hi stor y of r ep eti ti v e
head tr auma. Publ i shed p ap er s hav e show n that thi s c ond i ti on i s p r ev al ent i n r eti r ed p r ofessi onal
footbal l p l ayer s w ho hav e a hi stor y of head i nj ur y. The c hanges i n the br ai n c aused by r ep eti ti v e
tr auma ar e thought to begi n w hen the br ai n i s subj ec ted to that r ep eti ti v e tr auma, but symp toms
may not ap p ear unti l months, year s, or ev en d ec ad es after the l ast haumati c i mp ac t or the end of
ac ti v e athl eti c i nv ol v ement.
63 . The NF L Defend ants hav e know n for many year s about the r ep or ted
p ap er s and stud i es d oc umenti ng autop si es on ov er 25 for mer NF L p l ayer s. R ep or ts show that
ov er 90% of the p l ayer s suffer ed fr om CT` E.
15
64. As a r esul t, p ub l i sh ed p eer -r ev i ew ed sc i enti f i c stud i es h av e sh ow n th at
c onc ussi v e and sub-c onc ussi v e h ead unp ac ts w h i l e p l ay i ng p r of essi onal f ootb al l ar e l i nk ed to
si gni f i c ant r i sk of p er manent b r ai n i nj ur y .
Th e NF L Was In a Sup er i or Posi ti on of Know l ed ge and
Auth or i ty , _ and Ow ed a Duty to th e Cl ass
65. At al l ti mes, th e NF L h as h ad ac c ess to d ata. r el ati ng th e ef f ec t of h ead
i mp ac ts on f ootb al l p l ay er s and d ec ad es of ac c umul ated k now l ed ge ab out h ead i nj ur i es to
p l ay er s.
66. Th e NF L's ac c umul ated k now l ed ge ab out h ead i nj ur i es to p l ay er s, and th e
assoc i ated h eal th r i sk s th er ef r om, w as at al l ti mes v astl y sup er i or to th at r ead i l y av ai l ab l e to th e
R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s, th ei r R ep r esentati v e Cl ai mants, or Der i v ati v e Cl ai mants.
67. F r om i ts i nc ep ti on, th e NF L uni l ater al l y c r eated f or i tsel f th e r ol e of
p r otec ti ng p l ay er s, i nf or mi ng p l ay er s of saf ety c onc er ns, and i mp osi ng uni l ater al l y a w i d e v ar i ety
of r ul es to p r otec t p l ay er s f r om i nj ur i es th at w er e c ostl y to th e p l ay er , th e game, and p r of i ts.
F r om th e b egi nntng, th e NF L h el d i tsel f out and ac ted as th e guar d i an of th e p l ay er s' b est
i nter ests on h eal th and saf ety i ssues.
68. F or th ese r easons, Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and Sub c l asses h av e r el i ed on th e
NF L to i nter v ene i n matter s of p l ay er saf ety , to r ec oa j 7e i ssues of p l ay er saf ety , and to b e
tr uth f ul on th e i ssue of p l ay er saf ety .
69. In a r ec ent p ub l i c ad mi ssi on, th e NF L stated th at " [ s] i nc e i ts ear l i est d ay s,
th e l eague h as c onti nuousl y tak en step s to ensur e th at th e game i s p l ay ed as f ai r l y as p ossi b l e
w i th out unnec essar y r i sk to i ts p ar ti c i p ants, i nc l ud i ng mak i ng c h anges and enh anc ements to
gamy saf ety r ul es." (w w w .nf l h eal th sasf ety.c or r ~ c ommi tment/r egul ati ons) (2011-2012) .
16
70. On i nf or mati on and b el i ef , si nc e i ts i nc ep ti on, th e NF L r ec ei v ed and p ai d
f or ad v i c e f i om med i c al c onsul tants r egar d i ng h eal th r i sk s assoc i ated w i th p l ay i ng f ootb al l ,
i nc l ud i ng th e h eal th r i sk s assoc i ated w i th c onc ussi v e and sub -c onc ussi v e i nj ur i es. Suc h ongoi ng
med i c al ad v i c e and k now l ed ge p l ac ed th e NF L i n p osi ti on of ongoi ng sup er i or k now l ed ge
c omp ar ed to th e p l ay er s. Comb i ned w i th th e NF L's uni l ater al and monop ol i sti c p ow er to set
r ul es and d eter nune p ol i c i es th r ough out i ts game, th e NF L at al l r el ev ant ti mes w as i n a p osi ti on
to i nf l uenc e and d i c tate h ow th e game w oul d b e p l ay ed and to d ef i ne th e r i sk s to w h i c h p l ay er s
w oul d b e ex p osed .
71. As a r esul t, th e NF L uni l ater al l y assumed a d uty to ac t i n th e b est i nter ests
of th e h eal th and saf ety of NF L p l ay er s, to p r ov i d e tr uth f ul i nf or mati on to NF L p l ay er s r egar d i ng
r i sk s to th ei r h eal th , and to tak e al l r easonab l e step s nec essar y to ensur e th e saf ety of p l ay er s.
72. Th e NF L's v ol untar y ac ti ons and auth or i ty tl uough out i ts h i stor y sh ow
th at as ear l y as th e 1920s th e NF L sh oul d er ed f or i tsel f th e c ommon l aw d uty to mak e th e game
of p r of essi onal f ootb al l saf er f or th e p l ay er s and to k eep th e p l ay er s i nf or med of saf ety
i nf or mati on th ey need ed to k now .
73. Th e NF L's h i stor i c al ac ti ons i n. c onnec ti on w i th th ese l egal d uti es h av e
i nc l ud ed , b ut ar e not l i mi ted to, th e f ol l ow i ng: ad d i ng a f i el d j ud ge (1929); estab l i sh i ng h ash -
mar k s at 10 y ar d s f r om th e si d el i nes (1933); estab l i sh i ng th e p enal ty of unnec essar y r ough ness
f or a d el i b er ate r ough c ontac t on th e p asser af ter th e p ass i s mad e (1938); mak i ng h el mets
mand ator y (1943); ad d i ng a b ac k f i el d j ud ge (1947); estab l i sh i ng a r ul e th at th e b al l i s d ead w h en
a r unner touc h es th e gr ound w i th any p ar t of h i s b od y ex c ep t h i s h and s w h i l e i n th e gr asp of an
op p onent (195 5 ); estab l i sh i ng a r ul e th at th e b al l i s d ead i mmed i atel y i f th e r unner touc h es th e
gr ound w i th any p ar t of h i s b od y ex c ep t h i s h and s af ter b ei ng c ontac ted b y a d ef ensi v e p l ay er
17
(1956); estab l i sh i ng a p enal ty f or gr ab b i ng th e f ac e mask of any op p onent ex c ep t a r unner
(1956); estab l i sh i ng a p enal l y of gr ab b i ng th e f ac e mask of any op p onent (1962); r eq ui r i ng th at
goal p osts b e of f set f r om th e goal l i ne (1966} ; estab l i sh i ng a r ul e th at a p l ay er wh o si gnal s f or a
f ai r c atc h c annot b l oc k or i ni ti ate c ontac t wi th one of th e ki c ki ng team' s p l ay er s unti l th e b al l
touc h es a p l ay er (1967 ); estab l i sh i ng a r ul e th at a d ef ensi v e p l ay er wh o jump s or sta~ i d s on a
teammate or wh o i s p i c ked up b y a teammate c annot attemp t to b l oc k an op p onent' s ki c k (197 3 );
estab l i sh i ng a r ul e th at no r ec ei v er c an b e b l oc ked b el ow th e wai st af ter mov i ng b ey ond th e l i ne
of sc r i mmage (197 4); estab l i sh i ng a r ul e th at el i gi b l e r ec ei v er s wh o take a p osi ti on mor e th an
two y ar d s f r om th e tac kl e c annot b e b l oc ked b el ow th e wai st (197 4); estab l i sh i ng a r ul e th at a
d ef end er i s not p er mi tted . to r un or d i v e i nto a b al l c ar r i er wh o h as f al l en to th e gr ound untouc h ed
(197 6); estab l i sh i ng a r ul e th at i t i s i l l egal f or a d ef ensi v e l i neman to str i ke an op p onent ab ov e
th e sh oul d er s d ur i ng h i s i ni ti al c h ar ge (197 7 ) (p r ev i ousl y th e NF L mad e th i s i l l egal onl y d ur i ng
th e f i r st step ); estab l i sh i ng th at i t i s i l l egal f or a wi d e r ec ei v er to c l i p an op p onent any wh er e
(197 7 ); estab l i sh i ng r ul es as to mand ator y eq ui p ment (197 9); estab l i sh i ng t1~ at i t i s i l l egal f or a
p l ay er i n th e b ac kf i el d to c h op an outsi d e r ush er on a p ass p l ay (197 9); estab l i sh i ng th at i t i s
i l l egal to th r ow a p unc h or f or ear m or to ki c k an op p onent (197 9); and estab l i sh i ng th at i t i s
i l l egal to str i ke, swi ng, or c l ub an op p onent i n th e h ead , nec k or f ac e (1980).
7 4. As th e sp or t' s gov er ni ng enti ty (wi th monop ol i sti c p ower ), th e NF L h as
mad e i t known to p l ay er s and teams al i ke th at th e NF L ac ti v el y and p er v asi v el y gov er ns p l ay er
c ond uc t and h eal th and saf ety b oth on and of f th e f i el d . I n p ub l i c statements si nc e i ts i nc ep ti on,
th e NF L h as stated th at i ts goal s i nc l ud e taki ng nec essar y step s f or th e saf ety , h eal th and wel l -
b ei ng of p l ay er s and th ei r f ami l i es.
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7 5 . The NF L's ap p r oac h has been p ater nal i sti c and has i nc l ud ed
c omp r ehensi v e r ook i e tr ai ni ng p r ogxams to teac h new p l ay er s how to manage thei r p er sonal
l i v es, i nq ui r i es f r om the med i a, and newl y ac q ui r ed i nc ome.
7 6. F or d ec ad es, the NF L v ol untar i l y i nsti tuted p r ogr ams to sup p or t p l ay er
heal th and saf ety on and of f the f i el d , and the p l ay er s and thei r f ami l i es l ook ed to the NF L f or
gui d anc e on these i ssues.
7 7 . By way of examp l e onl y , i n 195 9, the NF L uni l ater al l y establ i shed
med i c al , l i f e i nsur anc e, and r eti r ement p l ans, f und ed the p l ans, and c ontr ol l ed the natur e and
extent of eac h of these p l ans wi thout any p l ay er i nv ol v ement. The NF L mad e al l c hanges to the
p l ans uni l ater al l y .
7 8. Desp i te i ts uni l ater al d uty and p ower to gov er n p l ay er c ond uc t on and of f
the f i el d , the NF L has f or d ec ad es i gnor ed , tur ned a bl i nd ey e to, and ac ti v el y c onc eal ed the r i sk s
to p l ay er s of r ep eti ti v e sub-c onc ussi v e and c onc ussi v e head i mp ac ts, whi c h c an and d o r esul t i n
p l ay er s bei ng Doc k ed unc onsc i ous or hav i ng " thei r be11 r ung" so that they ar e ui a c onsc i ous but
d i sor i ented state.
7 9. As one examp l e, Cl ev el and Br ov v us Q uar ter bac k O tto Gr aham was
k noc k ed unc onsc i ous d ur i ng a game agai nst the San F r anc i sc o 49er s i n 195 3 and he was c ar r i ed
of f the f i el d . Af ter r egai ni ng c onsc i ousness, howev er , Gr aham r etuxned to the f i el d and p l ay ed
the bal anc e of the game, ev en though hi s jaw r eq ui r ed f i f teen sti tc hes af ter the game.
80. Thus, si nc e i ts i nc ep ti on, and c onti nui ng i nto the p r esent, the NF L has
been i n a p osi ti on that af f or d s i t a sp ec i al r el ati onshi p to NF L p l ay er s as the guar d i an of thei r
heal th and saf ety . F or that r eason, f r om i ts i nc ep ti on and c onti nui ng i nto the p r esent, the NF L
owed a d uty of r easonabl e c az e to k eep NF L p l ay er s i nf or med of neur ol ogi c al r i sk s, to i nf or m
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NF L p l ay er s tnz th f ul l y , and not to mi sl ead NF L p l ay er s ab out th e r i sk s of p er manent
neur ol ogi c al d amage_ th at c an oc c ur f r om MTBI i nc ur r ed w h i l e p l ay ui g f ootb al l .
81. By w ay of examp l e onl y , d ur i ng th e d ec ad es of th e 1930s th r ough th e
1960s, th e NF L i n i ts sup er v i sor y r ol e as guar d i an of p l ay er saf ety i d enti f i ed tac k l i ng
tec h ni q ues th at e~osed p l ay er s to i nc r eased r i sk s of i nj ur y , i nc l ud i ng h ead , nec k , and l eg
i nj ur i es. Onc e i d enti f i ed , th e NF L i ssued r egul ati ons set f or th i n Par agr ap h 73, w h i c h ser v ed . as
d ai l y w ar ni ngs to p l ay er s of th e h az ar d ous natur e of c onti nui ng to f ol l ow h az ar d ous ta. c i c l i ng
tec h ni q ues.
82. As a r esul t of i ts p osi ti on of auth or i ty and r ep osi tor y of a c omp osi te of
i nf or mati on th r ough out th e League, th e NF L w as aw ar e of h ow to p r otec t NF L p l ay er s f r om
d anger ous c i r c umstanc es on th e f i el d of p l ay and took uni l ater al , b ut i nsuf f i c i ent, measur es to d o
so.
83. F or d ec ad es, th e NF L i gnor ed th e r i sk s and l or w as w i l l f ul l y b l i nd to th e
r i sk s and /or ac ti v el y c onc eal ed th e r i sk s f r om NF L p l ay er s, d esp i te i ts h i stor i c and p r oac ti v e r ol e
as th e guar d i an of p l ay er saf ety .
84. Mor eov er , f r om 1994 unti l 2010, th e NF L p ub l i c l y i nser ted i tsel f i nto th e
b usi ness of h ead i nj ur y r esear c h and op enl y d i sp uted th at any sh or t- ter m or l ong- ter m h ar mf ul .
ef f ec ts ar ose f r om f ootb al l -r el ated sub-c onc ussi v e and c onc ussi v e i nj ur i es. Th e NF L p r op agated
i ts ow n i nd ustr y-f und ed and f al si f i ed r esear c h to sup p or t i ts p osi ti on, d esp i te i ts h i stor i c r ol e as
" th e guar d i an of p l ay er saf ety , and d esp i te th e f ac t th at i nd ep end ent med i c al sc i enti sts h ad al r ead y
c ome to th e op p osi te c onc l usi on.
85 . On i nf or mati on and b el i ef , ov er th e p ast tw o d ec ad es, th e I~Tk ' L c onti nued
to exer c i se th i s c ommon l aw d uty and i ts Luul ater al auth or i ty to i nv esti gate and ad v i se NF L
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p l ay er s on many d i v er se and i mp or tant top i c s, and th at sh oul d h av e i nc l ud ed th e r ec ogni ti on of
c i r c umstanc es th at c an p r ec i p i tate MTBI, th e l ong- ter m p otenti al c onseq uenc es of MTBI to NF L
p l ay er s, and sol uti ons for p l ay er s wh o h av e sustai ned MTBI.
86. Dur i ng th i s ti me p er i od , b egi nni ng i n th e ear l y 1990s, th e NF L v ol untar i l y
anal gr atui tousl y i nser ted i tsel f i nto th e b usi ness of sp onsor i ng med i c al r esear c h r egar d i ng th e
l i nk b etween r ep eti ti v e h ead i mp ac ts sustai ned w] ul e p l ay i ng footb al l and MTBI th at c an and
d oes r esul t i n sh or t- ter m and l ong- ter m neur oc ogni ti v e i nj ur y and d ec l i ne.
87 . As suc h , th e NF L c onti nued to und er tak e i ts ex i sti ng c ommon l aw d uty to.
p r ov i d e tr uth ful sc i enti fi c r esear c h and i nfor mati on ab out th e r i sk s of c onc ussi v e and sub -
c onc ussi v e i nj ur i es to NF L p l ay er s, i nc l ud i ng th e R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s, wh o r el i ed on
th e NF L's r esear c h and p r onounc ements on th at sub j ec t.
88. Th e NF L k new, r easonab l y ex p ec ted , .and i ntend ed th at NF L p l ay er s,
i nc l ud i ng th e R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s, woul d r el y on i ts r esear c h and p r onounc ements on
th at sub j ec t, i n p ar t, b ec ause of th e h i stor i c sp ec i al r el ati onsh i p b etween th e NF L and fh e p l ay er s
and , i n p ar t, b ec ause th e NF L k new th at th e v ast maj or i ty of NF L p l ay er s p l ay ed und er non-
guar anteed c ontr ac ts and woul d wi l l i ngl y (and unk nowi ngl y ) ex p ose th emsel v es to ad d i ti onal
neur ol ogi c al i nj ur y and an i nc r eased r i sk of h ar m sol el y to mai ntai n th ose non-guar anteed
c ontr ac ts. Th e NF L enc our aged p l ay er s to sac r i fi c e al l for " th e game" as an essenti al mental i ty
for p l ay i n th e NF L. Th e 2007 NF L F i l ms v i d eo " Moment of Imp ac t" emp h asi zed th at " 3r d and
4th str i nger s, sp ec i al team p l ay er s wi l l r i sk l i fe and l i mb to c atc h th e c oac h 's ey e" for a sp ot on
an NF L r oster . Dur i ng av oi c e- ov er emp h asi zi ng th at th ese p l ay er s h op e " to mak e th e team b y
mak i ng an i mp ac t, " th e v i d eo d ep i c ts a Buffal o Bi l l s d efend er d el i v er i ng a d ev astati ng b l ow
21
d i r ec tl y to th e h ead of th e v ul ner ab l e I nd i anap ol i s Col ts' k i c k- r etur n man wh o h ad j ust c augh t
th e b al l .
Th e NF L Knew th e Danger s and Ri sk s Assoc i ated
wi th Rep eti ti v e Head I mp ac ts and Conc ussi ons
89. F or d ec ad es, th e NF L h as b een awar e th at mul ti p l e b l ows to th e h ead c an
l ead to l ong- ter m b r ai n i nj ur y , i nc l ud i ng b ut not l i mi ted to memor y l oss, d ementi a, d ep r essi on,
and CTE and i ts. r el ated sy mp toms.
90. I n 1928, p ath ol ogi st Har r i son M ai tl and d esc r i b ed th e c l i ni c al sp ec tr um of
ab nor mal i ti es f ound i n. "al most 50 p er c ent of f i gh ter s [ b ox er s] . . . i f th eq k ep t] at th e game l ong
enough " ( th e "M ai tl and stud y") . Th e ar ti c l e was p ub l i sh ed i n th e J our nal of th e Amer i c an
M ed i c aZAssoc i ati on. Th e M ai tl and stud y was th e f i r st to l i nk sub -c onc ussi v e b l ows and "mi l d
c onc ussi ons" to d egener ati v e b r ai n d i sease.
91. I n 1937, th e Amer i c an F ootb al l Coac h es Assoc i ati on p ub l i sh ed a r ep or t
war ni ng th at p l ay er s wh o suf f er a c onc ussi on sh oul d b e r emov ed f r om sp or ts d emand i ng
p er sonal c ontac t.
92. I n 1948, th e New Yor k S tate Legi sl atur e c r eated th e M ed i c al Ad v i sor y
Boar d of th e New Yor k Ath l eti c Commi ssi on f or th e sp ec i f i c p ur p ose of c r eati ng mand ator y
r ul es f or p r of essi onal b ox i ng d esi gned to p r ev ent or mi ni mi se th e h eal th r i sk s to b ox er s. Af ter a
th r ee y ear stud y , th e M ed i c al Ad v i sor y Boar d r ec ommend ed , among oth er th i ngs, ( a) an ac c i d ent
sur v ey c ommi ttee to stud y ongoi ng ac c i d ents and d eath s i n b ox i ng r i ngs; ( b ) two p h y si c i ans at
r i ng- si d e f or ev er y b out; ( c ) p ost- b out med i c al f ol l ow- up ex ams; ( d ) a 30- d ay p er i od of no
ac ti v i ty f ol l owi ng a l ai oc k out and a med i c al f ol l ow up f or th e b ox er , al l of wh i c h was d esi gned
to av oi d th e d ev el op ment of "p unc h d r unk sy nd r ome, " al so ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~at th e ti me as "tr aumati c
enc ep h al op ath y "; ( e) a p h y si c i an' s p r er ogati v e to r ec ommend th at a b ox er sur r end er temp or ar i l y
22
h i s boxi ng l i c ense i f th e p h y si c i an notes th at boxer suf f ers si gni f i c ant i nj ury or k noc k out; and ( f l
a med i c al i nv esti gati on of boxers wh o suf f er k noc k outs numerous ti mes.
93 . Th e rec ommend ati ons were c od i f i ed as rul es of th e New York S tate
Ath l eti c Commi ssi on.
94. In or aU out 1952, th e . Tournal of th e Ameri c an Med i c al Assoc i ati on
p ubl i sh ed a stud y of enc ep h al op atl uc c h anges i n p rof essi onal boxers.
95. Th at same y ear, a. 0 arti c l e p ubl i sh ed i n th e New Engl and Journal of
Med i c i ne rec ommend ed ath ree- stri k e xul e f or c onc ussi ons i n f ootbal l ( i . e. , rec ommend i ng th at
p l ay ers c ease to p l ay f ootbal l af ter rec ei v i ng th ei r Hurd c onc ussi on) .
96. ri ~ . 1962, Drs. S erel & Jaros l ook ed at th e h ei gh tened i nc i d enc e of c h roni c
enc ep h al op ath y i n boxers and c h arac teri z ed th e d i sease as a " Park i nsoni an" p attern of
p rogressi v e d ec l i ne.
97. A 1963 stud y by Drs. Mawd sl ey &F erguson f ound th at some boxers
sustai n c h roni c neurol ogi c al d amages as a resul t of rep eated h ead i nj uri es. Th i s d amage
mani f ested i n th e f oam of d ementi a and i mp ai rment of motor f unc ti on. S ee " Neurol ogi c al
Di sease i n Boxers," Lanc et 2:795- 81.
98. A 1967 stud y exami ned brai n ac ti v i ty i mp ac ts f rom f ootbal l by . uti l i z i ng
EEG to read brai n ac ti v i ty i n game c ond i ti ons, i nc l ud i ng af ter h ead trauma. Drs. Hugh es &
Hend ri x, " Tel emetered EEG f rom a F ootbal l Pl ay er i n Ac ti on," El ec troenc ep h al ograp h y &
Cl i ni c al Neurop h y si ol ogy 24:183- 86.
99. Iu 1969 ( and th en agai n i n th e 1973 book enti tl ed Head and Nec k Inj uri es
i n F ootbal l ) , a p ap er p ubl i sh ed i u th e Journal of Med i c i ne and S c i enc e i n S p oYts by a l ead i ng
med i c al exp ert i n th e txeatment of h ead i nj uri es rec ommend ed th at any c onc ussi v e ev ent wi th
23
tr ansi tor y l oss of c onsc i ousness r eq ui r es th e r emov al of th e f ootb al l p l ay er f r om p l ay and
r eq ui r es moni tor i ng.
100. In 1973, Dr s. Cor sel l i s, Br uton, &F r eeman-Br ov ~ ni e stud i ed th e p h y si c al
neur ol ogi c al i mp ac t of b ox i ng. T h i s stud y outl i ned th e neur op ath ol ogi c al c h ar ac ter i sti c s of
"Dementi a Pugi l i sti c a" ("DP") , i nc l ud i ng l oss of b r ai n c el l s, c er eb r al atr op h y , and neur of i b r i l l ar y
tangl es.
101. A 1975 stud y b y Dr s. Gr onwal l &Wr i gh tson l ook ed at th e c umul ati v e
ef f ec ts of c onc ussi v e i nj ur i es i n non-ath l etes and f ound th at th ose wh o suf f er ed two c onc ussi ons
took l onger to r ec ov er th an th ose wh o suf f er ed f r om a si ngl e c onc ussi on. T h e auth or s noted th at
th ese r esul ts c oul d b e ex tr ap ol ated . to ath l etes gi v en th e c ommon oc c i u7enc e of c onc essi ons i n
sp or ts.
102. In th e 1960s and 70s, th e d ev el op ment of th e p r otec ti v e f ac e mask i n
f ootb al l al l owed th e h el meted h ead to b e used as a b atter i ng r am. By 1975 th e numb er of h ead
and nec k i nj ur i es f r om f ootb al l th at r esul ted i n p er manent q uad r i p l egi as i n Pennsy l v ani a and
New J er sey l ead to th e c r eati on of th e Nati onal F ootb al l Head and Nec k R egi str y , wh i c h was
sp onsor ed b y th e Naf i onal Ath l eti c T r ai ner s Assoc i ati on and th e S p or ts Med i c i ne Center at th e
U ni v er si ty of Pennsy l v ani a.
103. In 1973, a p otenti al l y f atal c ond i ti on k nown as "S ec ond Imp ac t
S y nd r ome" i n wh i c h r e-i nj ur y to th e al r ead y -c onc ussed b r ai n tr i gger s swel l i ng th at th e sl c al l
c annot ac c ommod ate was i d enti f i ed . It d i d not r ec ei v e th i s name unti l 1984. U p on
i nf or mati on and b el i ef , S ec ond Imp ac t S y nd r ome h as r esul ted i n th e d eath s of at l east 40 f ootb al l
p l ay er s.
24
104. Between 1952 and 1994, numerous ad d i ti onal stud i es were p ub l i sh ed i n
med i c al j ournal s i nc l ud i ng th e J ournal of th e Ameri c an Med i c al Assoc i ati on, N eurol ogy , and th e
N ew Engl and J ournal of Med i c i ne, and Lanc et warni ng of th e d angers of si ngl e c onc ussi ons,
mul ti p l e c onc ussi ons, and /or f ootb al l-rel ated h ead trauma f rom mul ti p l e c onc ussi ons. Th ese
stud i es c ol l ec ti v el y estab l i sh ed th at:
[ R ] ep eti ti v e h ead . trauma i n c ontac t sp orts, i nc l ud i ng b oxi ng and f ootb al l ,
h as p otenti al d angerous l ong- term ef f ec ts on b rai n f unc ti on;
enc ep h al op ath y (d ementi a p ugi l i sti c a) i s c aused i n. b oxers b y rep eated sub -
c onc ussi v e and c onc ussi v e b l ows to th e h ead ;
ac c el erati on and rap i d d ec el erati on of th e h ead th at resul ts i n b ri ef l oss of
c onsc i ousness i n p ri mates al so resul ts i n a teari ng of th e axons (b rai n
c el l s) wi th i n th e b rai nstem;
wi th resp ec t to mi l d h ead i nj ury i n ath l etes wh o p l ay c ontac t sp orts, th ere
i s a rel ati onsh i p b etween neurol ogi c p ath ol ogy and l ength of th e ath l ete' s
c areer;
i mmed i ate retrograd e memory i ssues oc c ur f ol l owi ng c onc ussi ons;
mi l d h ead i nj ury req ui res rec ov ery tune wi th out ri sk of sub j ec ti on to
f urth er i nj ury ;
h ead trauma i s l i nk ed to d ementi a;
a f ootb al l p l ay er wh o suf f ers a c onc ussi on req ui res si gni f i c ant rest b ef ore
b ei ng sub j ec ted to f urth er c ontac t; and
mi nor h ead trauma c an l ead to neurop ath ol ogi c al and neurop h y si ol ogi c al
-al terati ons, i nc l ud i ng neuronal d amage, red uc ed c ereb ral b l ood - f l ow,
al tered b rai nstem ev ok ed p otenti al s and red uc ed sp eed of i nf ormati on
p roc essi ng.
105. In th e earl y 1980s, th e Dep artment of N eurosurgery at th e U ni v ersi ty of
V i rgi ni a p ub l i sh ed stud i es on p ati ents wh o sustai ned MTBI and ob serv ed l ong- term d amage i n
th e f orm of unexp ec ted c ogni ti v e i mp ai rment. Th e stud i es were p ub l i sh ed i n neurol ogi c al
j ournal s and treati ses wi t. ~ i n th e U ni ted S tates.
25
106. I n 1982, th e U ni v er si ty of V i r gi ni a and oth er i nsti tuti ons c ond uc ted
stud i es on c ol l ege f ootb al l teams th at sh owed th at f ootb al l p l ay er s wh o suf f er ed MTBI suf f er ed
p ath ol ogi c al sh or t- ter m and l ong- ter m d amage. Wi th r esp ec t to c onc ussi ons, th e sane stud i es
sh owed th at a p er son wh o sustai ned one c onc ussi on was mor e l i k el y to sustai n a sec ond ,
p ar ti c ul ar l y i f th at p er son was not p r op er l y tr eated and r emov ed f r om ac ti v i ty so th at th e
c onc ussi on sy mp toms wer e al l owed to r esol v e.
107. Th e same stud i es sh owed th at two or mor e c onc ussi ons c l ose i n ti me c oul d
h av e ser i ous sh or t- ter m and l ong- ter m c onseq uenc es i n b oth f ootb al l p l ay er s and oth er v i c ti ms of
b r ai n tr auma.
108. I n 1986, Dr . Rob er t Cantu of th e Amer i c an Col l ege of S p or ts Med i c i ne
p ub l i sh ed Conc ussi on Gr ad i ng Gui d el i nes, wh i c h h e l ater up d ated i n 2001.
109. By 1991, th r ee d i sti nc t med i c al p r of essi onal s/enti ti es, al l i nd ep end ent
f r om th e NF L Dr . Rob er t Cantu of th e Amer i c an Col l ege of S p or ts Med i c i ne, th e Amer i c an
Ac ad emy of Neur ol ogy , and th e Col or ad o Med i c al S oc i ety d ev el op ed r etur n- to- p l ay c r i ter i a
f or f ootb al l p l ay er s susp ec ted of h av i ng sustai ned h ead i nj ur i es.
110. On i nf or mati on and b el i ef , b y 1991, th e NCAA f ootb al l c onf er enc es and
i nd i v i d ual c ol l ege teaz el s' med i c al staf f s, al ong wi th many l ower- l ev el f ootb al l gr oup s ( e. g. , h i gh
sc h ool , j uni or h i gh sc h ool , and p ee- wee l eague) h ad d i ssemi nated i nf or mati on and ad op ted
c r i ter i a to p r otec t f ootb al l p l ay er s ev en r emotel y susp ec ted of h av i ng sustai ned c onc ussi ons.
111. F i u- th er , Rul e 4. 2. 14 of th e Wor l d Boxi ng Counc i l ' s Rul es and
Regul ati ons states: " [ b ] oxer s th at suf f er ed c onc ussi on b y KO [ l oss of c onsc i ousness] , sh oul d not
p ar ti c i p ate i n sp an~ i ng sessi ons f or 45 d ay s and no l ess th an 30 d ay s af ter c onc ussi v e tr auma,
26
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i nc l ud i ng, but not l i mi ted to, KO's, and sh oul d not c ompete i n a boxi ng matc h i n l ess th an 75
d ays."
112. In 1999, th e N ati onal Center for Catastr oph i c S por t Inj ur y Resear c h at th e
U ni v er si ty of N or th Car ol i na c ond uc ted a stud y i nv ol v i ng ei gh teen th ousand (18, 000) c ol l egi ate
and h i gh sc h ool footbal l pl ayer s. Th e r esear c h sh owed th at onc e a pl ayer suffer ed one
c onc ussi on, h e was th r ee tunes mor e l i k el y to sustai n a sec ond i n th e same season.
113 . In 1999, for mer Pi ttsbur gh S teel er and Hal l of F ame i nd uc tee Mi k e
Webster fi l ed wi th th e N F L a r eq uest th at h e r ec ei v e c ompl ete d i sabi l i ty benefi ts based on th e
fac t th at h e h ad sustai ned r epeated and d i sabl i ng h ead i mpac ts wh i l e a pl ayer for th e S teel er s. In
1999, Webster submi tted extensi v e med i c al r epor ts and testi mony th at stated , among oth er
th i ngs, th at Webster suffer ed fr om "tr aumati c or punc h d r unk enc eph al opath y [ br ai n d i sease] "
sustai ned fr om pl ayi ng footbal l th at l eft Webster total l y and per manentl y d i sabl ed as of 1991.
114. Th e N F L's own ph ysi c i an i nd epend entl y exami ned Webster and
c onc l ud ed th at Webster was mental l y "c ompl etel y and total l y d i sabl ed as of th e d ate of h i s
r eti r ement and was c er tai nl y d i sabl ed wh en h e stopped pl ayi ng footbal l someti me i n 1990."
115. Webster d i ed i n 2002 at th e age of fi fty. In Dec ember 2006, th e E state of
Webster r ec ei v ed an unpubl i sh ed opi ni on fr om th e U ni ted S tates Cour t of Appeal s for th e F our th
Ci r c ui t th at affumed tl ~ e d ec i si on of th e Di str i c t Cour t th at th e ad mi ni str ator h ad wr ongl y d eni ed
h i m benefi ts. In i ts opi ni on, th e F our th Ci r c ui t stated th at th e N F L Pl an h ad ac k nowl ed ged th at
th e mul ti pl e h ead i nj ur i es Webster sustai ned d ur i ng h i s pl ayi ng c ar eer (1974- 1990) "...h ad
c aused Webster ev entual l y to suffer total and per manent mental d i sabi l i ty :..."
116. Th us, th e N F L, th r ough i ts own exper t med i c al testi mony and th e exper t
testi mony subxni tted by Webster ] mew and ac c epted th at r epeti ti v e tr aumati c br ai n i nj ur i es
27
sustai ned by a H al l of F ame p l ayer l ed to l ong- ter m enc ep h al op ath y and p er manent mental
d i sabi l i ty.
117. A 2000 stud y, wh i c h sur v eyed 1; 090 f or mer NF L p l ayer s, f ound th at mor e
th an 60%p er c ent h ad suf f er ed at l east one c onc ussi on, and 26%p er c ent h ad suf f er ed th r ee or
mor e, d ur i ng th ei r c az eer s. Th ose wh o h ad sustai ned c onc ussi ons r ep or ted mor e p r obl ems wi th
memor y, c onc entr ati on, sp eec h i mp ed i ments, h ead ac h es, and oth er neur ol ogi c al p r obl ems th an
th ose wh o h ad not been c onc ussed .
118. Al so i n 2000, a stud y p r esented at th e Amer i c an Ac ad emy of Neur ol ogy' s
52nd Annual Meeti ng and auth or ed by Dr . Bar r y J or d an, Di r ec tor of th e Br ai n I nj ur y Pr ogr am at
Bur ke R eh abi l i tati on H osp i tal i n Wh i te Pl ai ns, New Yor k, and Dr . J ul i an Baf f l es, sur v eyed 1, 094
f or mer NF L p l ayer s between th e ages of 27 and 86 and f ound th at: (a) mor e th an 60%h ad
suf f er ed at l east one c onc ussi on i n th ei r c ar eer s wi th 26% of th e p l ayer s h av i ng th r ee or mor e
and I S%h av i ng f i v e or mor e; (b) 51 %h ad been knoc ked unc onsc i ous mor e th an onc e; (c ) 73%
of th ose i nj ur ed sai d th ey wer e not r eq ui r ed to si t on th e si d el v aes af ter th ei r h ead tr auma; (d )
49% of th e f or mer p l ayer s h ad numbness or ti ngl i ng; 28%h ad nec k or c er v i c al sp i ne ar th r i ti s;
31 %h ad d i f f i c ul ty wi th memor y; 16% wer e unabl e to d r ess th emsel v es; 11 %wer e unabl e to
f eed th emsel v es; and (3) ei gh t suf f er ed f r om Al z h ei mer ' s.
119. A 2001 r ep or t by Dr . F r ed er i c k Muel l er th at was p ubl i sh ed i n th e J our nal
of Ath l eti c Tr ai ni ng r ep or ted th at af ootbal l -r el ated f atal i ty h as oc c ur r ed ev er y year f r om 1945
th r ough 1999, ex c ep t f or 1990. H ead-r el ated d eath s ac c ounted f or 69% of f ootbal l f atal i ti es,
c er v i c al sp i nal i nj ur i es f or 16. 3%, and oth er i nj ur i es f or 14. 7%. H i gh sc h ool f ootbal l p r od uc ed
th e gr eatest number of f ootbal l h ead -r el ated d eath s. F r om 1984 th r ough 1999, 69 f ootbal l h ead -
r el ated i nj ur i es r esul ted i n p er manent d i sabi l i ty.
28
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i
120. In 2004, a c onv ention of neur ol ogic al ex p er ts in Pr ague met w ith th e aim
of p r ov id ing r ec ommend ations for th e imp r ov ement of safety and h eal th of ath l etes w h o suffer
c onc ussiv e inj ur ies in ic e h oc key , r ugb y ; footb al l , and oth er sp or ts b ased on th e most up- to- d ate
r esear c h . Th ese ex er ts r ec ommend ed th at a p l ay er nev er b e r etur ned to p l ay w h il e
sy mp tomatic , and c oined th e p h r ase, "w h en in d oub t, sit th em out. "
121. Th is ec h oed simil ar med ic al p r otoc ol estab l ish ed at a Vienna c onfer enc e
in 2001. Th ese tw o c onv entions w er e attend ed b y p r ed ominatel y ,Amer ic an d oc tor s w h o w er e
ex p er ts and l ead er s in th e neur ol ogic al fiel d .
122. Th e U niv er sity of Nor th Car ol ina' s Center for th e S tud y of R etir ed
Ath l etes p ub l ish ed sur v ey- b ased p ap er s in 2005 th r ough 2007 th at found a str ong c or r el ation
b etw een d ep r ession, d ementia, and oth er c ognitiv e imp air ment in NF L p l ay er s and th e numb er of
c onc ussions th ose p l ay er s h ad r ec eiv ed .
123. An ar tic l e in th e 2010 New Engl and J our nal of M ed ic ine entitl ed
"Tr aumatic Br ain Inj ur y F ootb al l , W ar far e, and Long- Ter m Effec ts," sh ow s th at ev en mil d
"tr aumatic b r ain inj ur y " ("TBI") c an h av e l asting c onseq uenc es th at ar e manifest l ater in th e
footb al l p l ay er ' s l ife.
124. A 2006 p ub l ic ation stated th at "[ a] l l stand ar d U . S . guid el ines, suc h as
th ose fir st set b y th e Amer ic an Ac ad emy of Neur ol ogy and th e Col or ad o M ed ic al S oc iety , agr ee
th at ath l etes w h o l ose c onsc iousness sh oul d nev er r ettun to p l ay in th e same game. "
125. Ind eed , w h il e th e NF L knew for d ec ad es of th e h ar mful effec ts of
c onc ussions on a p l ay er ' s b r ain, it ac tiv el y c onc eal ed th ese fac ts from c oac h es, p l ay er s, and th e
p ub l ic .
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126. On i nf or mati on and b el i ef d ur i ng ev er y d ec ad e r ef er enc ed ab ov e, th e NF L
was ad v i sed b y p h ysi c i ans of al l ki nd s r egar d i ng th e r i sks assoc i ated wi th p l ayi ng th e game of
f ootb al l , i nc l ud i ng th e r i sks assoc i ated wi th h ead i mp ac ts and MTBI.
127. As d esc r i b ed ab ov e, th e NF L h as known f or d ec ad es th at MTBI c an and
d oes l ead to l ong- ter m b r ai n i nj ur y, i nc l ud i ng, b ut not l i mi ted to, memor y l oss, d ementi a,
Al zh euner 's Di sease, Par ki nson's Di sease, ALS, d ep r essi on, and CTE and i ts r el ated symp toms.
Th e Ni + ~ I, Vol untar i l ~ Und er took th e R esp onsi b i l i ty of Stud v i n~ Head Imuac ts i n F ootb al l ,
Yet F r aud ul entl y Conc eal ed Th ei r Long- Ter m Ef f ec ts
128. In 1994, th en- NF L c ommi ssi oner Paul Tagl i ab ue agr eed to f und a
c ommi ttee to stud y th e i ssue of h ead i nj ur y i n th e NF L. T'h e NF L v ol untar i l y and uni l ater al l y
p r oc eed ed to f or m th e c ommi ttee to stud y th e i ssue. Th i s Commi ttee, th e Mi l d Tr aumati c Br ai n
Inj ur y Commi ttee ("MTBI Commi ttee") , v ol untar i l y und er took th e r esp onsi b i l i ty of stud yi ng th e
ef f ec ts of c onc ussi ons and sub -c onc ussi v e i nj ur y on NF L p l ayer s.
129. At th at ti me, th e c ur r ent NF L. Commi ssi oner , R oger Good el l ("Good el l") ,
was th e NF L's Vi c e Pr esi d ent and Ch i ef Op er ati ng Of f i c er .
130. Vi 7i th th e MTBI Commi ttee, th e NF L v ol untar i l y i nser ted i tsel f i nto th e
p r i v ate and p ub l i c d i sc ussi on and r esear c h on an i ssue th at goes to th e c or e saf ety r i sk f or p l ayer s
wh o p ar ti c i p ate at ev er y l ev el of th e game. Th r ough i ts v ol untar y c r eati on of th e MTBI
Commi ttee, th e NF L af f i r mati v el y assumed a d uty to use r easonab l e c ar e i n th e stud y of
c onc ussi ons and p ost-c onc ussi on synd r ome i n NF L p l ayer s; th e stud y of any ki nd of b r ai n
tr atuna r el ev ant to th e sp or t of f ootb al l ; th e use of i nf or mati on d ev el op ed ; and th e p ub l i c ati on of
d ata and /or p r onounc ements f r om th e MTBI Commi ttee.
131. R ath er th an ex er c i si ng r easonab l e c ar e i n th ese d uti es, th e NF L engaged i n
f r aud ul ent and negl i gent c ond uc t, wh i c h i nc l ud ed a c amp ai gn of mi si nf or mati on d esi gned to (a)
30
Case 2:14- c v -00029- AB Doc ument 1 F i l ed 01/06/14 Page 32 of 80 ' ;
d i sp ute ac c ep ted and v al i d neur osc i enc e r egar d i ng th e c onnec ti on between r ep eti ti v e tr aumati c
br ai n i nj ur i es and c onc ussi ons and d egener ati v e br ai n d i sease suc h as CTE; and (b} to c r eate a
f al si f i ed bod y of r esear c h wh i c h th e NF L c oul d c i te as p r oof th at tr uth f ul and ac c ep ted
neur osc i enc e on th e subj ec t was i nc onc l usi v e and subj ec t to d oubt.
132. Th e NF L' s unp ar al l el ed status i n th e wor l d of f ootbal l i mbued i ts MTBI
Commi ttee' s p r onounc ements oi i c onc ussi ons wi th a uni q ue auth or i tati v eness as a sour c e of
i nf or mati on to p l ayer s. Th e Pl ai nti f f s th er ef or e r easonabl y r el i ed on th e NF L' s p r onounc ements
and J or si l enc e on th i s v i tal h eal th i ssue.
133. Th e NF L' s r esp onse to th e i ssue of br ai n. i nj ur i es and d egener ati v e br ai n.
d i sease i n r eti r ed NF L p l ayer s c aused by c onc ussi ons and r ep eti ti v e br ai n tr auma r ec ei v ed d ur i ng
th ei r year s as p r of essi onal f ootbal l p l ayer s h as been, unti l v er y r ec entl y, a c onc er ted ef f or t of
d ec ep ti on and d eni al . Th e NF L ac ti v el y tr i ed to and d i d c onc eal th e ex tent of th e c onc ussi on and
br ai n tr auma p r obl em, th e r i sk to th e R eti r ed NF L F ootbal l Pl ayer s, and th e r i sk s to anyone el se
wh o p l ayed f ootbal l .
134. Th e MTBI Commi ttee' s stated goal was to p r esent obj ec ti v e f i nd i ngs on
th e ex tent to wh i c h a c onc ussi on p r obl em ex i sted i n th e League, and to outl i ne sol uti ons.
Ir oni c al l y, th e MTBI Commi ttee' s stud i es wer e sup p osed to be gear ed towar d " unp r ov [ i ng]
p l ayer saf ety" and f or th e p ur p ose of i nsti tuti ng " r ul e c h anges ai med at r ed uc i ng h ead i nj ur i es. "
135 . By 1994, wh en th e NF L f or med th e MTBI Commi ttee, i nd ep end ent
sc i enti sts and neur ol ogi sts al i k e wer e al r ead y c onv i nc ed th at al l c onc ussi ons ev en seemi ngl y
mi l d ones wer e ser i ous i nj ur i es th at c an p er manentl y d amage th e br ai n, i mp ai r th i nk i ng abi l i ty
and memor y, and h asten th e onset of mental d ec ay and seni l i ty, esp ec i al l y wh en th ey ar e
i nf l i c ted f r eq uentl y and wi th out ti me to p r op er l y h eal .
31
13 6. The MTBI Commi ttee was p ub l i c i z ed b y the NF L as i nd ep end ent f rom the
NF L, c onsi sti ng of a c omb i nati on of d oc tors and researc hers.
137 . The MTBI Commi ttee, howev er, was not i nd ep end ent. It c onsi sted of at
l east f i v e p ersons who were al read y af f i l i ated wi th the NF L.
138. I~ LS tead of nami ng a noted neurol ogi st to c hai r the newl y f ormed MTBI
Commi ttee, or at l east a p hysi c i an wi th ex tensi v e trai ni ng and ex p eri enc e treati ng head i nj uri es,
Tagl i ab ue ap p oi nted Dr. E l l i ot Pel l man, a rheumatol ogi st who l ac k ed any sp ec i al i z ed trai ni ng or
ed uc ati on rel ati ng to c onc ussi ons, and who was a p ai d p hysi c i an and trai ner f or the New York
J ets.
139. Dr. Penman had rep orted l y b een f eed b y Maj or League Baseb al l f or l yi ng
to Congress regaz d i ng hi s resume.
140. Dr. Penman woul d go onto c hai r the MTBI Commi ttee f rom 1994- 2007 ,
and hi s l ead ershi p of the Commi ttee c ame und er f req uent and harsh c ri ti c i sm rel ated to hi s
d ef i c i ent med i c al trai ni ng, b ac k ground , and ex p eri enc e.
141. The f ac t that Dr. Pel i man was a p ai d p hysi c i an f or an NF L Team was an
ob v i ous c onf l i c t of i nterest. At no ti me was Dr. Penman i nd ep end ent of the NF L, b ec ause he
was p ai d on an ongoi ng b asi s b y an NF L Team.
142. The NF L f ai l ed to ap p oi nt any neurop athol ogi st to the MTBI Commi ttee.
143. F rom i ts i nc ep ti on i n 1994, the MTBI Commi ttee al l eged l y b egan
c ond uc ti ng stud i es to d eterni i ne the ef f ec t of c onc ussi ons on the l ong- term heal th of NF L
p l ayers.
144. Good el l c onf i rmed thi s i n J une 2007 when he stated p ub l i c l y that the NF L
had b een stud yi ng the ef f ec ts of traumati c b rai n i nj ury f or " c l ose to 14 years . . . . "
32
145 . Und er Dr. Penman, th e MTBI Commi ttee sp earh ead ed a d i si nformati on
c amp ai gn.
146. Dr. Penman and two oth er MTBI Commi ttee members, Dr. Ira Casson, a
neurol ogi st, and Dr. Dav i d Vi ano, a bi omed i c al engi neer, worked to d i sc red i t sc i enti fi c stud i es
th at l i nked h ead i mp ac ts and c onc ussi ons rec ei v ed by NF L p l ayers to neuroc ogni ti v e d i sord ers
anal d i sabi l i ti es.
147 . Th e MTBI Commi ttee d i d not p ubl i sh i ts fi rst fi nd i ngs on ac ti v e p l ayers
unti 12003. In th at p ubl i c ati on, th e MTBI Commi ttee stated , c ontrary to years of ( i nd ep end ent}
fi nd i ngs, th at th ere was no l ong- term negati v e h eal th c onseq uenc e assoc i ated wi th c onc ussi ons.
148. Th e MTBI Commi ttee p ubl i sh ed i ts fi nd i ngs i n a seri es of 16 p ap ers
between 2003 and 2009. Ac c ord i ng to th e MTBI Commi ttee, al l of th en fi nd i ngs sup p orted a
c onc l usi on th at th ere was no l ong term negati v e h eal th c onseq uenc e assoc i ated wi th c onc ussi ons
or sub-c onc ussi v e i nj uri es sustai ned by NF L p l ayers. Th ese fi nd i ngs regul arl y c ontrad i c ted th e
researc h and ex p eri enc es of neurol ogi sts wh o treat sp orts c onc ussi ons and th e p l ayers wh o
end ured d i em.
149. Comp l etel y c ontraz y to p eer-rev i ewed sc i enti fi c p ubl i c ati ons, th e NF L's
team of h and -p i c ked so-c al l ed ex p erts on th e MTBI Commi ttee d i d not fi nd c onc ussi ons to be of
si gni fi c ant c onc ern and fel t i t ap p rop ri ate for p l ayers sufferi ng a c onc ussi on to c onti nue p l ayi ng
footbal l d ~ u- i ng th e same game or p rac ti c e i n wh i c h one was suffered . Th i s rec ommend ati on and
p rac ti c e by th e NF L, p romoted by th e MTBI Commi ttee, was i rresp onsi bl e and d angerous.
15 0. Th e MTBI Commi ttee's meth od ol ogy and th e c onc l usi ons reac h ed i n i ts
researc h were c ri ti c i z ed by i nd ep end ent ex p erts d ue to th e numerous fl aws i n th e stud y d esi gn,
33
method ol ogy, and i nter p r etati on of the d ata, whi c h l ed to c onc l usi ons at od d s wi th c ommon
med i c al knowl ed ge and b asi c sc i enti f i c p r otoc ol .
151. F ox examp l e, i n 2004 the MTBI Commi ttee p ub l i shed a c onc l usi on i n
whi c h i t c l ai med that i ts r esear c h f ound no r i sk of r ep eated c onc ussi ons i n p l ayer s wi th p r ev i ous
c onc ussi ons and that ther e was no "7- to- 10 d ay wi nd ow of i nc r eased susc ep ti b i l i ty to sustai ni ng
another c onc ussi on. "
152. Tn a~c omment to thi s p ub l i c ati on, one i nd ep end ent d oc tor wr ote that "[ t] he
ar ti c l e send s a message that i t i s ac c ep tab l e to r etur n p l ayer s whi l e sti l l symp tomati c , whi c h
c ontr ad i c ts l i ter atur e p ub l i shed ov er the p ast twenty year s suggesti ng that athl etes b e r etur ned to
p l ay onl y af ter they ar e asymp tomati c , and i n some c ases f or sev en d ays. "
153. As a f i u- ther examp l e, an Mf i BI Commi ttee c onc l usi on i n 2005 stated that
"[ p ]l ayer s who ar e c onc ussed and r etur n to the same game hav e f ewer i ni ti al si gns and symp toms
than those r emov ed f r om p l ay. R etur n to p l ay d oes not i nv ol v e a si gni f i c ant r i sk of a sec ond
i nj ur y ei ther i n the same game or d ur i ng the season. " "These d ata suggest," the MTBI
Commi ttee r ep or ted , "that these p l ayer s wer e at no i nc r eased r i sk" of sub seq uent c onc ussi ons or
p r ol onged symp toms suc h as memor y l oss, H ead ac hes, and d i sor i entati on.
154. Yet, a 2003 NCAA stud y of 2,905 c ol l ege f ootb al l p l ayer s f ound j ust the
op p osi te: "Those who hav e suf f er ed c onc ussi ons ar e mor e susc ep ti b l e to f ur ther head tr auma f or
sev en to 10 d ays af ter the i nj ur y. "
155. S up p or t f or thi s same c onc l usi on was d ev el op ed as ear l y as 1982 i n
stud i es c ond uc ted at the U ni v er si ty of V i r gi ni a. .
34
15 6. Dr. Pel l man and h i s group stated rep eated l y th at th e NF L stud y sh owed
"no ev i d enc e of worseni ng i nj ury or c h roni c c umul ati v e ef f ec ts of mul ti p l e [MTBI] i n NF L
p l ay ers. "
15 7 . Th e 2003 rep ort by th e Center f or th e Stud y of R eti red Ath l etes at th e
U ni v ersi ty of North Carol i na, h owev er, f ound a l i nk between mul ti p l e c onc ussi ons and
d ep ressi on among f ormer p rof essi onal p l ay ers wi th h i stori es of c onc ussi ons. A 2005 f ol l ow- up
stud y by th e Center sh owed a c onnec ti on between c onc ussi ons and both brai n i mp ai rment and
Al z h ei mer' s among reti red NF L p l ay ers.
15 8. O th er c ontrary c onc l usi ons th at th e MTBI Commi ttee p ubl i sh ed at th e
beh est, urgi ng, and -sp onsorsh i p of NF L ov er sev eral y ears i nc l ud e, but are not l i mi ted to, tl ~ e
f ol l owi ng:
Drs. Pel l man and Vi ano stated th at bec ause a "si gni f i c ant p erc entage of
p l ay ers returned to p l ay ul th e same game [as th ey suf f ered a c onc ussi on]
and th e ov erwh el mi ng maj ori ty of p l ay ers wi th c onc ussi ons were k ep t out
of f ootbal l -rel ated ac ti v i ti es f or l ess th an 1 week , i t c an be c onc l ud ed th at
mi l d [TBIs] i n. p rof essi onal f ootbal l are not seri ous i nj uri es";
th at NF L p l ay ers d i d not sh ow a d ec l i ne i n brai n f unc ti on af ter a
c onc ussi on;
th at th ere were no i l l ef f ec ts among th ose wh o h ad th ree (3) or more
c onc ussi ons or wh o took h i ts to th e h ead th at si d el i ned th em f or a week or
more
th at "no NF L p l ay er ex p eri enc ed th e sec ond-i mp ac t sy nd rome or
c umul ati v e enc ep h al op ath y f rom rep eat c onc ussi ons"; and
th at NF L p l ay ers' brai ns resp ond ed and h eal ed f aster th an th ose of h i gh
sc h ool or c ol l ege ath l etes wi th th e same i nj uri es.
15 9. Th e MTBI Commi ttee' s p ap ers and c onc l usi ons were agai nst th e wei gh t
of th e sc i enti f i c ev i d enc e and based on bi ased d ata c ol l ec ti on tec h ni q ues. Th ey rec ei v ed
si gni f i c ant c ri ti c i sm i n th e sc i enti f i c and med i c al med i a f rom i nd ep end ent d oc tors and
i ~ ~
r esear c h er s and wer e met wi th sk ep ti c i sm i n p eer-r ev i ew segments fol l owi ng eac h ar ti c l e' s
p ub l i c ati on.
160. Mor eov er , th e c onc l usi ons of th e MTBI Commi ttee c omp l etel y
c oni ~ ad i c ted th e med i c al testunony H al l of F ame p l ay er Mi k e Web ster sub mi tted to th e NF L i n
h i s ap p l i c ati on for d i sab i l i ty , i nc l ud i ng th e testi mony th e NF L' s own p ai d ex p er t sub mi tted i n
c onnec ti on wi th Mr . Web ster ' s ap p l i c ati on.
161. Renowned ex p er ts Dr . Rob er t Cantu and Dr . J ul i an Baffl es wr ote h az sh l y
c r i ti c al r ev i ews of th e stud i es' c onc l usi ons.
162. Dr . Cantu ob ser v ed th at th e ex tr emel y smal l samp l e si z e and v ol untar y
p ar ti c i p ati on i n th e NF L' s stud y suggested th er e was b i as i n c h oosi ng th e samp l e. Ac c or d i ng to
Dr . Cantu, no c onc l usi ons sh oul d b e d r awn fr om th e NF L stud y .
163. A d i ffer ent sc i enti st wh o r ev i ewed th e MTBI Commi ttee' s wor k fur th er
stated th at th e NF L ap p ear ed to b e p r i mar i l y p r ep ar i ng a d efense for wh en i nj ur ed p l ay er s
ev entual l y sued , and th at i t seemed to b e p r omoti ng a fl awed sc i enti fi c stud y to j usti fy i ts
c onc l usi on th at c onc ussi ons d o not h av e ad v er se effec ts on p l ay er s.
164. Dr . Kev i n Gusk i ewi c z h as stated th at th e " d ata. th at h asn' t sh own up mak es
th ei r wor k q uesti onab l e i nd ustr y -fi z nd ed r esear c h . "
165 . Th e MTBI Commi ttee' s wor k was c r i ti c i z ed wh en r ep eated
i nc onsi stenc i es and i r r egul ar i ti es i n th e MTBI Commi ttee' s d ata. wer e r ev eal ed .
166. Th e MTBI Commi ttee fai l ed to i nc l ud e h und r ed s of neur op sy c h ol ogi c al
tests d one on NF L p l ay er s i n th e r esul ts of th e Commi ttee' s stud i es on th e effec ts of c onc ussi ons
and was sel ec ti v e i n i ts use of i nj ur y r ep or ts.
167. The r esul ts r ep or ted by Dr . Penman and the MTBI Commi ttee sel ec ti v el y
ex c l ud ed at l east 850 basel i ne tests. In a p ap er p ubl i shed i n N eur osur ger y i n Dec ember 2004,
Dr . Penman and the other MTBI Commi ttee member s r ep or ted on the basel i ne d ata for 655
p l ayer s and the r esul ts for 95 p l ayer s who had und er gone both basel i ne testi ng and p ost-
c onc ussi on testi ng. They c onc l ud ed that N F L p l ayer s d i d not show a d ec l i ne i n br ai n func ti on
after suffer i ng c onc ussi ons. Thei r fur ther anal ysi s p ur p or ted l y found no i l l effec ts among those
who had thr ee or mor e c onc ussi ons or who took hi ts to the head that k ep t them out for a week or
mor e. The p ap er d i d not ex p l ai n wher e the p l ayer s i n the stud y gr oup s c ame fr om sp ec i fi c al l y or
why c er tai n p l ayer d ata. was i nc l ud ed and that d ata. fr om hund r ed s of other p l ayer s was not.
168. Dr . Penman subseq uentl y fi r ed . Wi l l i am Bar r , a neur op syc hol ogi st for the
N ew Yor k J ets, after Dr . Baez p r esented at a c onfer enc e some N CAA stud y fi nd i ngs that
c onhad i c ted N F L p r ac ti c es.
169. As d esc r i bed i n the fol l owi ng p ar agr ap hs, when fac ed wi th stud i es whi c h
tend ed to show a c ausal . l i nk between MTBI and c ogni ti v e d egener ati on, the N F L, thr ough the
MTBI Commi ttee, p r od uc ed c ontr ar y fi nd i ngs that wer e fal se, d i stor ted , and d ec ep ti v e to N F L
p l ayer s, p ar ti c i p ants i n footbal l nati onwi d e, and the p ubl i c at l ar ge.
170. Between 2002 and 2007, Dr . Bennet Oma1u ex ami ned the br ai n ti ssue of
d ec eased N F L p l ayer s, i nc l ud i ng Mi k e Webster , Ter r y Long, And r e Water s, and J usti n
S tr zel c zyk . Dr . Omal u c onc l ud ed that the p l ayer s suffer ed fr om CTE.
171. Al l of these i nd i v i d ual s suffer ed mul ti p l e c onc ussi ons d ur i ng thei r N F L
c ar eer s. Later i n l i fe, eac h ex hi bi ted symp toms of d eter i or ated c ogni ti v e func ti ons, p ar anoi a,
p ani c attac k s, and d ep r essi on.
37
172. Some of Dr. Oma1u's f i nd i ngs were p ub l i sh ed i n N aurasurgety . Th ose
f i nd i ngs i nc l ud ed th at W eb ster's and Long's resp ec ti v e d eath s were p arti al l y c aused b y CTE and
were rel ated to mul ti p l e c onc ussi ons suf f ered d uri ng th ei r ac ti v i ty i n th e N F L.
173. In resp onse to Dr. Oma1u's arti c l es, th e MTBI Commi ttee wrote a l etter to
th e ed i tor of N eurosurgery ask i ng th at Dr. Oma1u's arti c l e b e retrac ted .
174. In an arti c l e p ub l i sh ed i n N eurosurgery i n 2007, Dr. Cantu reac h ed a
si mi l ar c onc l usi on regard i ng W aters as Dr. Onnal u l ead reac h ed as to W eb ster and Long.
175 . A 2003 stud y p arti al l y auth ored b y Dr. Kev i n Gusk i ewi c z anal y zed d ata
f rom al most 2, 5 00 reti red N F L p l ay ers and f ound th at 263 of th e reti red p l ay ers suf f ered f rom
d ep ressi on. Th e stud y f ound th at h av i ng th ree or f our c onc ussi ons meant twi c e th e ri sk of
d ep ressi on asnev er-c onc ussed p l ay ers and f i v e or more c onc ussi ons meant a neax l y th reef ol d
ri sk .
176. Th e N F L's MTBI Commi ttee attac k ed th ese stud i es.
177. In N ov emb er 2003, Dr. Gusk i ewi c z was sc h ed ul ed to ap p ear on HBO's
" Insi d e th e N F L" to d i sc uss h i s researc h . Dr. Pel l man c al l ed Dr. Gusk i ewi c z i n ad v anc e and
q uesti oned wh eth er i t was i n th e b est i nterest of Dr. Gusk i ewi c z to ap p ear on th e p rogram. On
th e p rogram, Dr. Pel l man stated uneq ui v oc al l y th at h e d i d not b el i ev e th e resul ts of th e stud y l ed
b y Dr. Gusk i ewi c z.
178. In 2005 , Dr. Gusk i ewi c z p erf ormed a c l i ni c al f ol l ow- up stud y , and f ound
th at reti red p l ay ers wh o sustai ned th ree or more c onc ussi ons i n th e N F L h ad a f i v ef ol d
p rev al enc e of mi l d c ogni ti v e i mp ai rment i n c omp ari son to N F L reti rees wi th out a h i story of
c onc ussi ons. In d oi ng th i s researc h , Dr. Gusk i ewi c z c ond uc ted a surv ey of ov er 2, 5 5 0 f ormer
N F L ath l etes.
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17 9. The MBTI Commi ttee attac k ed and sought to und ermi ne the stud y , i ssui ng
the f ol l ow i ng exc use and d el ay tac ti c : "We w ant to ap p l y sc i enti f i c ri gor to thi s i ssue to mak e
sc are that w e're real l y getti ng at the und erl y i ng c ause of w hat's hap p eni _ ng. . . . You c annot tel l
that f rom a surv ey . "
180. In August 2007 , the NF L, i n k eep i ng w i th i ts sc heme of f raud and d ec ei t,
i ssued a c onc ussi on p amp hl et to p l ay ers w hi c h stated :
Current researc h w i th p rof essi onal athl etes has not show n that hav i ng
more than one or tw o c onc ussi ons l ead s to p ermanent p rob l ems i f eac h
i nj ury i s managed p rop erl y . It i s i mp ortant to und erstand that there i s no
magi c numb er f or how many c onc ussi ons i s too many . R esearc h i s
c urrentl y und erw ay to d etermi ne i f there are any l ong- term ef f ec ts of
c onc ussi ons] i n NF L athl etes.
181. In. a statement mad e around the ti me that the c onc ussi on p amp hl et w as
rel eased , Good el l sai d , "We w ant to mak e sure all NF L p l ay ers . . . are f ul l y i nf ormed and tak e
ad v antage of the most up to d ate i nf ormati on and resourc es as w e c onti nue to stud y the l ong- team
i mp ac t on c onc ussi ons. " The NF L d ec i d ed that the "most up to d ate i nf ormati on" d i d not
i nc l ud e the v ari ous i nd ep end ent stud i es i nd i c ati ng a c ausal l i nk b etw een mul ti p l e c onc ussi ons
and c ogni ti v e d ec l i ne i n l ater f i f e.
182. Good el l al so stated , "[ b ]ec ause of the uni que and c omp l ex nature of the
b rai n, our goal i s to c onti nue to hav e c onc ussi ons managed c onserv ati v el y b y outstand i ng
med i c al p ersonnel i n a w ay that c l earl y emp hasi zes p l ay er saf ety ov er c omp eti ti v e c onc erns. "
183. The R eti red NF L F ootb al l Pl ay ers rel i ed to thei r d etri ment on the NF L's
mi si nf ormati on, al l of w hi c h w as c ontrary to the f i nd i ngs of the i nd ep end ent sc i enti sts w l l o had
stud i ed the i ssue, i nc l ud i ng Drs. Gusk i ew i c z, Cantu, Oma1u, and Baf f l es, regard i ng the c ausal l i nk
b etw een mul ti p l e head i nj uri es and c onc ussi ons and c ogni ti v e d ec l i ne.
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1 84 . The NF L's conf l i ct of i nter est and moti ve to sup p r ess i nf or mati on
r egar d i ng the r i sk s of r ep er i ti ve tr aumati c b r ai n i nj ur i es and concussi ons was vi vi d l y
d emonstr ated b y Dr . Pel l man's tr eatment of a concussi on sustai ned b y f or mer star New Y or l c
J ets p l ay er Way ne Chr eb et. Thi s occur r ed i n 2 003, the same ti me p er i od when Dr . Pel l man
chai r ed the MTBI Commi ttee.
1 85 . In Novemb er 2 003, Chr eb et sustai ned a concussi on f r om another p l ay er 's
l r nee to the b ack of hi s head . The i mp act l ef t hi m f ace d own on the f i el d i n an unconsci ous state
f or sever al mi nutes. Once Chr eb et was on the si d el i ne and consci ous, Dr . Penman ad mi ni ster ed
tests. Dr . Penman k new that Chr eb et had sustai ned a concussi on, b ut r ep or ted l y Chr eb et
p er f or med ad eq uatel y on stand ar d memor y tests. Accor d i ng to r ep or ts, Dr . Penman ask ed
Chr eb et some q uesti ons, i ncl ud i ng whether he was "ok ay . " Chr eb et r esp ond ed that he was.
R ep or ted l y , Dr : Penman tol d Chr eb et that, "Thi s i s ver y i mp or tant f or y our car eer ," anal sent
Chr eb et b ack i nto the game. S hor tl y ther eaf ter , Chr eb et was d i agnosed wi th p ost-concussi on
sy nd r ome and k ep t out of games f or the r emai nd er of the 2 003 season.
1 86. Tod ay , Cl ueb et i s 4 0 y ear s ol d and r ep or ted l y suf f er s f r om d ep r essi on and
memor y p r ob l ems.
1 87 . In 2 005 , the MTBI Commi ttee p ub l i shed a p ap er that stated "[ p ] l ay er s
who ar e concussed and r etur n to the same game have f ewer i ni ti al si gns and sy mp toms than
those r emoved f r om p l ay . R etur n to p l ay d oes not i nvol ve a si gni f i cant r i sk of a second i nj ur y
ei ther i n the same game or d ur i ng the season. "
1 88. F aci ng i ncr easi ng med i a scr uti ny over the MTBI Commi ttee's
q uesti onab l e stud i es, Dr . Penman eventual l y r esi gned as the head of the Commi ttee i n F eb r uar y
4 0
2007. He was x ep l ac ed as head by Dr. I ra Casson and Dr. Dav i d Vi ano, but remai ned amember -
of the Commi ttee.
189. Dr. Guski ewi c z, researc h d i rec tor of the U ni v ersi ty of North Carol i na' s
Center f or the Stud y of R eti red Athl etes, sai d at the ti me that Dr. Pel i man was " tha wrong p erson
to c hai r the c ommi ttee f rom a sc i enti f i c p ersp ec ti v e and the ri ght p erson f i om the l eague' s
p ersp ec ti v e."
190. R egard i ng~ Dr. Pel l man' s work, Dr. Guski ewi c z stated , " [w]e f ound thi s at
the hi gh sc hool l ev el , the c ol l ege l ev el and the p rof essi onal l ev el , that onc e you had a c onc ussi on
or two you are at i nc reased ri sk f or f uture c onc ussi ons," but " [Dr. Pel l man] c onti nued to say on
the rec ozd that' s not what they f i nd and there' s no truth to i t."
191. Drs. Casson and Vi ano c onti nued to d i smi ss outsi d e stud i es and
ov ei v ,~ hel mi ng ev i d enc e l i nki ng d ementi a and other c ogni ti v e d ec l i ne to brai n i nj uri es. I n 2007,
i n a tel ev i sed i nterv i ew on HBO' s R eal Sp orts, Dr. Casson d ef i ni ti v el y and uneq ui v oc al l y stated
that there was no l i nk between c onc ussi ons and d ep ressi on, d ementi a, Al zhei mer' s, or " anytU i ng
l i ke [that] whatsoev er."
192. I n June 2007; the NF L c onv ened a c onc ussi on summi t f or team d oc tors
and trai ners. I nd ep end ent sc i enti sts, i nc l ud i ng Drs. Cantu, and Guski ewi c z, p resented thei r
reseax c h to the NF L.
193 . Dr. Jul i an Baf f l es, a neurosurgeon f i om West Vi rgi ni a U ni v ersi ty, bri ef ed
the MTBI Commi ttee on the f i nd i ngs of Dr. Omal u and other i nd ep end ent stud i es l i nki ng
mul ti p l e NF L head i nj uri es wi th c ogni ti v e d ec l i ne. Dr. Baf f l es rec al l ed that the MTBI ' s
Commi ttee' s reac ti on to hi s p resentati on was ad v ersazi al : " The Commi ttee got mad ... we got
i nto i t. And I ' m thi nki ng, ` Thi s i s a ...d i sease i n Amex i c a' s most p op ul ar sp ort and how aze i ts
41
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l ead er s r esp ond i ng? Al i enate th e sc i enti st wh o f ound i t? R ef use to ac c ep t th e sc i enc e c omi ng
f r om h i m?"'
194. At th e si uz uni t; Dr . Casson tol d team d oc tor s and tr ai ner s th at CTE h as
nev er been sc i enti f i c al l y d oc umented i n f ootbal l p l ay er s.
195 . Af ter r ev i ewi ng f i v e y ear s of d ata of on- f i el d c onc ussi ons, th e NF L f al sel y
c onc l ud ed th at th er e was no ev i d enc e f or an i nc r ease i n sec ond ar y br aui i nj ur i es af ter a
c onc ussi on.
196. In 2008, Boston U ni v er si ty 's. Dr . Ann Mc Kee f ound CTE i n th e br ai ns of
two mor e d ec eased NF L p l ay er s, Joh n G r i ni sl ey and Tom Mc Hal e. Dr . Mc Kee stated : "[T]h e
easi est way to d ec r ease th e i nc i d enc e of CTE [i n c ontac t sp or t ath l etes] i s to d ec r ease th e number
of c onc ussi ons. " Dr . Mc Kee f ur th er noted th at "[t]h er e i s ov er wh el mi ng ev i d enc e th at [CTE] i s
th e r esul t of r ep eated subl eth al br ai n tr auma. "
197 . A MTBI Commi ttee r ep r esentati v e c h ar ac ter i z ed eac h stud y as an
"i sol ated i nc i d ent" f r om wh i c h no c onc l usi on c oul d be d r awn, and sai d h e woul d wai t to
c omment f ur th er unti l Dr . Mc Kee's r esear c h was p ubl i sh ed i n ap eer -r ev i ewed j our nal . Wh en
Dr . Mc Kee's r esear c h was p ubl i sh ed i n 2009, Dr . Casson asser ted th at "th er e i s not enough
v al i d , r el i abl e or obj ec ti v e sc i enti f i c ev i d enc e at p r esent to d eter mi ne wh eth er . . . r ep eat h ead
i mp ac ts i n p r of essi onal f ootbal l r esul t i n l ong[- ]ter m br ai n d amage. "
198. In 2008, und er i nc r easi ng p r essur e, th e NF L c ommi ssi oned th e U ni v er si ty
of Mi c h i gan's Insti tute f or S oc i al R esear c h to c ond uc t a stud y on th e h eal th of r eti r ed p l ay er s.
Ov er 1,000 f or mer NF L p l ay er s took p ar t i n th e stud y . Th e r esul ts of th e stud y , r el eased i n 2009,
r ep or ted th at "Al z h ei mer 's d i sease or si mi l ar memor y -r el ated d i seases ap p ear to h av e been
42
d i agnosed i n th e l eague' s for mer p l ay er s v astl y mor e often th an i n th e nati onal p op ul ati on
i nc l ud i ng a r ate of 19 ti mes th e nor mal r ate for men ages 30 th r ough 49. "
199. Th e NF L, wh o c ommi ssi oned th e stud y , r esp ond ed to th ese r esul ts by
c l ai mi ng th at th e stud y was i nc omp l ete, and th at fur th er fi nd i ngs woul d be need ed . NF L
sp ok esp er son Gr eg Ai el l o stated th at th e stud y was subj ec t to sh or tc omi ngs and d i d not for mal l y
d i agnose d ementi a. Dr . Casson i mp l i ed th at th e Mi c h i gan stud y was i nc onc l usi v e and stated th at
fi ufi u- th h er wor k was r eq ui r ed . O th er ex p er ts i n th e fi el d found th e NF L' s r eac ti on to be " bi z ar r e,"
noti ng th at " th ey p ai d for th e stud y , y et th ey tr i ed to d i stanc e th emsel v es fr om i t. "
Th e Congr essi onal Inq ui r y and Th e NF L' s Ac k nowi ed Sement of th e Conc ussi on Cr i si s
200. Sh or tl y after th e r esul ts of th e Mi c h i gan stud y wer e r el eased ,
R ep r esentati v e Joh n Cony er s, Jr . , Ch ai r man of th e House Jud i c i ar y Commi ttee, c al l ed for
h ear i ngs on th e i mp ac t of h ead i nj ur i es sustai ned by NF L p l ay er s.
201. Dr s. Cantu and Mc Kee testi fi ed befor e th e House of R ep r esentati v es,
Commi ttee on th e Jud i c i ar y , to d i sc uss th e l ong- ter m i mp ac t offootbal l-r el ated h ead i nj tui es.
202. At th e fi r st h ear i ng i n O c tober 2009, Good el l ac k nowl ed ged th at th e NF L
owes a d uty to th e p ubl i c at l ar ge to ed uc ate th em as to th e r i sk s of c onc ussi ons d ue to th e
League' s uni q ue p osi ti on of i nfl uenc e: " In ad d i ti on to our mi l l i ons of fans, mor e th an th r ee
mi l l i on y oungster s aged 6- 14 p l ay tac k l e footbal l eac h y ear ; mor e th an one mi l l i on h i gh sc h ool
p l ay er s al so d o so and neaz l y sev enty fi v e th ousand c ol l egi ate p l ay er s as wel l . We must ac t i n
th en best i nter ests ev en i f th ese y oung men nev er p l ay p r ofessi onal footbal l . "
203. Wh en R ep r esentati v e Sanc h ez q uesti oned Good el l about th e l i mi ted natur e
of th e NF L' s p ur p or ted stud i es oi l r ep eti ti v e tr aumati c br ai n i nj ur i es and c onc ussi ons, th e
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c onfl i c ts of i nter est of th ose d i r ec ti ng th e stud i es, and th e p otenti al for b i as, G ood el l ev ad ed
answer i ng th e q uesti ons.
204. On Dec emb er 17 , 2009, Ci nc i nnati Bengal s wi d e r ec ei v er Ch r i s Henr y,
26, wh o p l ayed i n th e NF L fr om 2004 to 2009, d i ed after fal l i ng fr om th e b ac k of a tr uc k . Dr s.
Oma1u and Baffl es p er for med a p osh nor tem stud y on Hemy's b r ai n and d i agnosed h i m wi th CTE.
205. In J anuar y 2010, th e House J ud i c i ar y Commi ttee h el d fur th er h ear i ngs on
footb al l p l ayer h ead i nj ur i es. R ep r esentati v e Conyer s ob ser v ed th at " unti l r ec entl y, th e NF L h ad
mi ni mi sed and d i sp uted ev i d enc e l i nk i ng h ead i nj ur i es to mental i mp ai r ment i n th e futur e. "
206. R ep r esentati v e Li nd a Sanc h ez c ommented th at " [ i ] t seems to me th at th e
N. F . L. h as l i ter al l y b een d r aggi ng i ts feet on th i s i ssue unti l th e p ast few year s. Wh y d i d i t tak e
15 year s?"
207 . In th e 2010 Congr essi onal h ear i ngs, Dr . Casson gav e testi mony th at
d eni ed th e v al i d i ty of oth er non- NF L stud i es and stated th at " [ t] h er e i s not enough v al i d , r el i ab l e
or ob j ec ti v e sc i enti fi c ev i d enc e at p r esent to d eter mi ne wh eth er or not r ep eat h ead i mp ac ts i n
p r ofessi onal footb al l r esul t i n l ong ter m b r ai n d amage. "
208. Th e memb er s of th e MTBI Commi ttee, h owev er , k new of th e d ec ad es ol d
stud i es l i nk i ng MTBI to l ong- team neur ol ogi c al p r ob l ems. Casson, a MTBI Commi ttee memb er
si nc e i ts i nc ep ti on, stated b efor e Congr ess on J anuar y 4, 2010, th at h e was " th e l ead auth or of a
l and mar k p ap er on b r ai n d amage i n mod er n b ox er s th at was p ub l i sh ed i n th e [ J our nal of th e
Amer i c an Med i c al Assoc i ati on] i n 1984. " Th at p ap er , wh i c h r efer enc ed th e many stud i es
d oc umenti ng CTE i n b ox er s, stud i ed ei gh teen for mer and ac ti v e b ox er s and found th at ei gh ty-
sev en p er c ent of th e p r ofessi onal b ox er s h ad d efi ni te ev i d enc e of b r ai n d amage. Sp ec i fi c al l y, th e
44
stud y d eter mi ned th at th e sub j ec ts p er f or med p ar ti c ul ar l y p oor l y on neur op sy c h ol ogi c al tests
measur i ng sh or t- ter m memor y .
209. In h i s w r i tten statement to Congr ess, Casson stated th at h e h as "b een
c onc er ned ab out th e p ossi b i l i ty of l ong ter m ef f ec ts on th e b r ai n r el ated to f ootb al l f or c l ose to
th i r ty y ear s." Dr . Casson of f er ed th at one of th e r easons h e "w as ask ed to b e on th e NF L MTBI
c ommi ttee w as b ec ause of [ h i s] k now l ed ge of and ex p er i enc e tr eati ng b ox er s w i th c h r oni c
tr aumati c enc ep h a~ op ath y (CTE)."
210. Th i s testi mony c ontr ad i c ted Casson' s testi mony th at "th er e i s not enough
v al i d , r el i ab l e or ob j ec ti v e sc i enti f i c ev i d enc e at p r esent to d eter mi ne w h eth er or not r ep eat h ead
i mp ac ts i n p r of essi onal f ootb al l r esul t i n l ong ter m b r ai n d amage."
211. On F eb r uar y 1, 2010, Dr . Omal u sp ok e b ef or e memb er s of th e House
J ud i c i ar y Commi ttee at a f or um i n Houston, Tex as w i th r egar d to "Head and Oth er Inj ur i es i n
Youth , Hi gh S c h ool , Col l ege, and Pr of essi onal F ootb al l ." In h i s p r ep ar ed testunony , h e
ex p l ai ned :
Gl enn Pop War ner [ 1871- 1954] f ound ed th e Pop War ner y outh f ootb al l
l eague i n 1929. He sti l l r emai ns one of th e gr eatest f ootb al l c oac h es i n th e
h i stor y of Amer i c an f ootb al l . Th e si ngl e ev ent, w h i c h nec essi tated th e use
of p ad s anal h el mets b y f ootb al l p l ay er s took p l ac e i n 1888 w h en th e
annual r ul es c onv enti on f or th e emer gi ng sp or t of c ol l ege f ootb al l p assed a
r ul e p er mi tti ng tac k l i ng b el ow th e w ai st. F ootb al l c h anged d r amati c al l y .
Teams no l onger ar r ay ed th emsel v es ac r oss th e enti r e b r eath of th e f i el d .
Teams b unc h ed th emsel v es ar ound th e r unner to b l oc k f or h i m. Th e
w ed ge and mass p l ay ar r i v ed . F ootb al l b ec ame, f or a ti me, a sav age sp or t
f ul l of f i gh ts, b r aw l i ng, ev en f atal i ti es." In 1912, Pop War ner sai d :
"Pl ay i ng w i th out h el mets gi v es p l ay er s mor e c onf i d enc e, sav es th ei r h ead s
f r om many h ar d j ol ts, and k eep s th en ear s f r om b ec omi ng tor n or sor e. I
d o not enc our age th ei r use. I h av e nev er seen an ac c i d ent to th e h ead
w h i c h w as ser i ous, b ut I h av e many ti mes seen c ases w h en h ar d b ump s on
th e h ead so d azed th e p l ay er r ec ei v i ng th em th at h e l ost h i s memor y f or a
ti me and h ad to b e r emov ed f r om th e game." We h av e k now n ab out
c onc ussi ons and th e ef f ec ts of c onc ussi ons i n f ootb al l f or ov er a c entur y .
Ev er y b l ow to th e h ead i s d anger ous. Rep eated c onc ussi ons and sub -
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c onc ussi ons b oth h av e th e c ap ac i ty to c ause p ermanent b rai n d amage.
Duri ng p rac ti c e and d w - i ng games, a si ngl e p l ay er c an sustai n c l ose to one
th ousand or more h i ts to th e h ead i n onl y one season w i th out any
d oc umented or rep orted i nc ap ac i tati ng c onc ussi on. Suc h rep eated b l ow s
ov er sev eral y ears, no d oub t, c an resul t i n p ermanent i mp ai rment of b rai n
f unc ti oni ng esp ec i al l y i n a c h i l d .
212. Af ter th e Congressi onal h eari ngs, th e NF LPA c al l ed f or th e remov al of
Dr. Casson as MTBI Commi ttee c o-c h ai r, and stated , "Our v i ew i s th at h e' s a p ol ari z i ng f i gure
on th i s i ssue, and th e p l ay ers c ertai nl y d on' t f eel l i k e h e c an b e an ur~ p arti al p arty on th i s
sub j ec t."
213. In 2010, th e NF L re- named th e MTBI Commi ttee th e "Head , Nec k , and
Sp i ne Med i c al Commi ttee" ( th e "Med i c al Commi ttee") and announc ed th at Dr. Pel l man w oul d
no l onger b e a memb er of th e p anel . Drs. H. Hunt Batj er and R i c h ard G. E l l enb ogen w ere
sel ec ted to rep l ac e Casson and Vi ano. Th e tw o new c o-c h ai rmen sel ec ted Dr. Mi tc h el S. Berger
to serv e on th e new Med i c al Commi ttee.
214. Und er i ts new l ead ersh i p , th e Commi ttee ad mi tted th at d ata c ol l ec ted b y
t11e NF L' s f ormerl y ap p oi nted b rai n-i nj ury l ead ersh i p w as "i nf ec ted ," and sai d th at th ei r
Commi ttee sh oul d b e assemb l ed anew . Th e Med i c al Commi ttee f ormal l y req uested th at Dr.
Penman not sp eak at one of i ts i ni ti al c onf erenc es.
215. Duri ng a May 2010 Congressi onal h eari ng, a Congressman mad e i t p l ai n
to Drs. Batj er and E l l enb ogen th at th e NF L: "[h ad ] y ears of an i nf ec ted sy stem h ere, and y our
j ob i s ... to mop [i t] up ."
216. Sh ortl y af ter th e May 2010 h eari ng, Dr. Batj er w as q uoted as ad mi tti ng,
"[w ]e al l h ad i ssues w i th some of th e meth od ol ogi es d esc ri b ed , th e i nh erent c onf l i c t of i nterest
th at w as th ere i n many areas, th at w as not ac c ep tab l e b y any mod ern stand ard s or not ac c ep tab l e
46
to us. I woul d n't p ut up wi th th at, our uni v ersi ti es woul d n't p ut up wi th th at, and we d on't want
our p rof essi onal rep utati ons d amaged by c onf l i c ts th at were p ut up on us. "
217. Iu June 2010, sc i enti f i c ev i d enc e l i nk ed mul ti p l e c onc ussi ons to ALS,
c ommonl y ref erred to as " Lou G eh ri g's Di sease. "
218. On F ebruary 17, 2011; f ormer Ch i c ago Bears and New York G i ants p l ayer
Dav e Duerson c ommi tted sui c i d e. F i f ty years ol d at th e ti me, Duerson h ad suf f ered month s of
h ead ac h es, bl tured v i si on, and f al teri ng memory.
219. Bef ore h i s d eath , Duerson wrote a f i nal note th at ask ed th at h i s brai n be
gi v en to th e NF L brai n bank f or ev al uati on. Af ter h i s d eath , Dr. Cantu d etem~ i ned th at Duerson
was suf f eri ng f rom CTE.
220. Wh en th i s i nf ormati on was rep orted , NF LPA Ex ec uti v e Di rec tor
DeMauri c e Smi th stated th at th e f ac t th at Duerson was suf f eri ng f rom C'I'E
mak es i t abund antl y c l ear wh at th e c ost of f ootbal l i s f or th e men wh o
p l ayed and th e f ami l i es. It seems to me th at any d ec i si on or c ourse of
ac ti on th at d oesn't rec ogni z e th at as th e truth i s not onl y p erp etuati ng a l i e,
but d oi ng a d i sserv i c e to wh at [Duerson] f eared and wh at h e wanted to
resul t f rom th e d onati on of h i s brai n to sc i enc e.
221. In Jul y 2011, Joh n Mac k ey, f ormer ti gh t end of th e Bal ti more Col ts d i ed .
Mac k ey was d i agnosed wi th f ront temp oral l obe d ementi a i n 2007, f orc i ng h i m to l i v e f ul l- ti me
i n. an assi sted l i v i ng f ac i l i ty.
222. In Oc tober 2011, Dr. ~ Mi tc h el Berger of th e NF L's Head , Nec k , and Sp i ne
Med i c al Commi ttee announc ed th at a new stud y was i n th e p l anni ng p roc ess. He ad mi tted th at
th e MTBI Commi ttee's p rev i ous l ong-range stud y was usel ess bec ause " [t]h ere was no sc i enc e
i n th at. " Dr. Berger f urth er stated th at d ata f rom th e p rev i ous stud y woul d not be used . " We're
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Case 2:14- c v -00029- AB Doc ument 1 F i i ed 01/06/14 Page 49 of 80
r eal l y mov i ng on fr om th at d ata. T h er e' s r eal l y noth i ng we c an d o wi th th at d ata i n ter ms of h ow
i t was c ol l ec ted and assessed . "
T h e NF L' s New Commi ttee
223. VJh y i n 1994 (and far ear l i er ) th e NF L (and i ts MT BI Commi ttee) fai l ed to
sh ar e ac c ur ate i nfor mati on and tak e ap p r op r i ate ac ti ons i s d i ffi c ul t to c omp r eh end i n l i gh t of th e
fac t th at th e NF L h as k nown for d ec ad es th at mul ti p l e bl ows to th e h ead c an l ead to l ong- ter m
br ai n i nj ur y , i nc l ud i ng memor y l oss, d ementi a, d ep r essi on, and CT E and i ts r el ated sy mp toms.
Instead , th e NF L mi sl ed p l ay er s, c oac h es, tx ai ner s, and th e p ubl i c , and ac ti v el y sp r ead
d i si nfor mati on.
224. It took d ec ad es for th e NF L to ad mi t th at th er e was a p r obl em and 16
y ear s to ad mi t th at i ts i nfor mati on was fal se and i nac c ur ate. T h e NF L' s c ond uc t i n th i s r egar d i s
wi l l ful and ex h i bi ts a r ec k l ess d i sr egar d for th e safety of i ts p l ay er s and th e p ubl i c at l ar ge. At a
mi ni mum, th e NF L ac ted wi th c al l ous i nd i ffer enc e to th e d uty i t v ol untar i l y assumed to th e
R eti r ed NF L F ootbal l Pl ay er s and p l ay er s at ev er y l ev el of th e game.
225: As a d i r ec t r esul t of th e fr aud ul ent c onc eal ment and mi sr ep r esentati ons by
th e NF L, for mer p l ay er s h av e for many d ec ad es been l ed to bel i ev e th at th e sy mp toms of ear l y -
onset d ementi a, ALS, l oss of memor y , h ead ac h es, c onfusi on, and th e i nabi l i ty to func ti on wer e
not c aused by ev ents oc c ur r i ng wh i l e th ey p l ay ed i n th e NF L. And , as a r esul t of th i s wi l l ful and
mal i c i ous c ond uc t, th ese for mer p l ay er s h av e been d ep r i v ed of med i c al tr eatment, i nc ur r ed
ex p enses, l ost emp l oy ment, suffer ed h umi l i ati on and oth er d amages to be sp ec i fi ed .
T h e Need for Med i c al Moni tor i ng
226: Publ i sh ed p eer-r ev i ewed sc i enti fi c stud i es h av e sh own th at p l ay i ng
p r ofessi onal footbal l i s assoc i ated wi th si gni fi c ant r i sk for p er manei 7 t br ai n i nj ur y .
48
227. F or exampl e, stud i es hav e shown that 28% of the NF L reti rees stud i ed ,
suffered from d epressi on, whereas the prev al enc e of d epressi on i n the genez al popul ati on i s
9.5%.
228. S i mi l arl y , 36% of NF L reti rees, age 65- 75, who were stud i ed , suffered
from d ementi a, whereas the prev al enc e of d ementi a i n the general popul ati on for the same age
group i s 2.2- 6.5%.
229. R eti red NF L pl ay ers wi th three or more reported c onc ussi ons had a
fi v efol d prev al enc e of mi l d c ogni ti v e i mpai rment (MCn and a threefol d prev al enc e of si gni fi c ant
memory probl ems, c ompared to other reti rees. I n a stud y of NF L reti rees, 11.1 % of al l
respond ents reported hav i ng a pri or or c urrent d i agnosi s of c l i ni c al d epressi on.
230. NF L reti rees experi enc ed earl i er onset of Al z hei mer' s more freq uentl y
than the general Ani eri c ari mal e popul ati on i n the same age range.
231. Onc e there i s a fi nd i ng of i mpai rment of mental func ti oni ng, the prognosi s
i s poor; the v ast maj ori ty of suc h pati ents go on to d ev el op Al z hei mer' s wi thi n a d ec ad e.
232. Publ i shed peer-rev i ew sc i enti fi c stud i es hav e shown that 6.1% of reti red
NF L pl ay ers ov er the age of 50 rec ei v e ad ementi a-rel ated d i agnosi s c ompared to the 1.2%
nati onal av erage for men of the same age.
233. Publ i shed peer-rev i ewed sc i enti fi c stud i es hav e shown that the i nc i d enc e
of brai n trauma i n reti red NF L pl ay ers has been assoc i ated wi th mi l d c ogni ti v e i mpai rment and
d epressi on.
234. The Boston U ni v ersi ty Center for the S tud y of Traumati c Enc ephal opathy
has performed autopsy exami nati ons of the brai ns of d ec eased NF L pl ay ers i nd i c ati ng an
esti mated l i feti me prev al enc e of CTE of 3.7%perc ent of al l reti red pl ay ers.
49
ov erwhel mi ng.
235. The ev i d enc e that CTE i s c aused by rep eated subl ethal brai n trauma i s
236. Publ i shed p eer-rev i ewed sc i enti fi c stud i es hav e shown that more than 61%
of former NF L p l ayers hav e ex p eri enc ed c onc ussi ons and a greater number hav e ex p eri enc ed
rep eated sub-c onc ussi v e bl ows.
237. Brai n i nj ury and brai n d i sease i n NF L reti rees i s a l atent d i sease that c an
ap p ear years or d ec ad es after the p l ayer ex p eri enc es head trauma i n hi s NF L c areer.
238. Ex p erts c onsi d er c onc ussi ons the " ti p of the i c eberg, " and bel i ev e
rep eti ti v e sub-c onc ussi v e bl ows to the head are the c ause of si gni fi c ant brai n d i sease i n NF L
reti rees.
239. R eti red NF L F ootbal l Pl ayers are ex p osed to a si gni fi c ant number of sub-
c onc ussi v e bl ows and c onc ussi ons as a resul t of thei r p rofessi onal NF L footbal l c areers. The
general p ubl i c d oes not ex p eri enc e thi s typ e of brai n trauma.
240. H i stori c al l y, the NF L has treated rep eated sub-c onc ussi v e bl ows and
c onc ussi ons as " d i ngs" and hav i ng one' s " bel l rung, " and fraud ul entl y c onc eal ed and negl i gentl y
mi srep resented fac ts that woul d assi st R eti red NF L F ootbal l Pl ayers i n the Cl ass and S ubc l asses
i n bei ng abl e to obtai n ad eq uate brai n i nj ury d i agnosi s, management, and treatment of the
c ond i ti on to fac i l i tate rec ov ery and rehabi l i tati on.
241. The Defend ants' fraud ul ent c onc eal ment and negl i gent mi srep resentati ons
as to the ri sk s of c hroni c sub-c onc ussi v e bl ows and c onc ussi ons has i nc reased the ri sk s for
R eti red NF L F ootbal l Pl ayers i n the Cl ass and S ubc l asses to neuroc ogni ti v e i mp ai rment and i ts
seq uel ae, i nc l ud i ng c ogni ti v e, mental heal th, and neurol ogi c al d i sord ers d uri ng the years after
reti rement.
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242. Management of c onc ussi on r eq ui r es a gr ad ual , mul ti step p r oc ess i nv ol v i ng
med i c al moni tor i ng, b asel i ne testi ng, and i i eur oc ogni ti v e ex atnu~ ati on.
243. F or sp or ts, suc h as f ootb al l , i n whi c h r ep eated b l ows to the head ar e l i k el y ,
p r op ex c onc ussi on assessment anal management i s p ar amount f or p r ev enti ng and mi ti gati ng.l ong-
ter m. c onseq uenc es.
244. Med i c al moni tor i ng f or neur oc ogni ti v e i mp ai r ment i d enti f i es d ef i c i ts that
ar e amenab l e to tr eatment thr ough med i c al , c ogni ti v e, p sy c hol ogi c al and b ehav i or al c ounsel i ng
( f or the p ati ent and hi s sp ouse and f ami l y ) , as wel l as thr ough p har mac euti c al tr eatment, l i f esty l e
mod i f i c ati ons, and other ther ap euti c i nter v enti ons.
245. T esti ng of c ogni ti v e f unc ti oni ng f or ear l y si gns or sy mp toms of neur ol ogi c
d y sf unc ti on i s med i c al l y nec essar y to assur e ear l y d i agnosi s and ef f ec ti v e tr eatment of b r ai n
i nj ur y .
246. Med i c al moni tor i ng f or l atent b r ai n i nj ur y i s hi ghl y sp ec i al i z ed and
d i f f er ent f r om the med i c al c ar e that i s nor ni al l y r ec ommend ed to other men of a si mi l ar age, i n
the ab senc e oz a i ustor y oz c hr oni c r ep eal ed sub-c onc ussi v e i mp ac i s and c onc ussi ons.
247. Wel l-estab l i shed and sp ec i al i z ed med i c al moni tor i ng p r oc ed ur es east to
p r ov i d e ear l y d i agnosi s of neur oc ogni ti v e i mp ai r ment, whi c h gr eatl y enhanc es suc c essf ul
tr eatment, r ehab i l i tati on, and p r ev enti on or mi ti gati on of c ogni ti v e, p sy c hol ogi c al , and
b ehav i or al d ef i c i ts.
248. Suc h p r oc ed ur es i nc l ud e b r ai n i magi ng stud i es and neur op sy c hol ogi c al
ev al uati ons tar geted on i d enti f y i ng the d ef i c i ts assoc i ated wi th c hr oni c and r ep eated sub -
c onc ussi v e b l ows and c onc ussi ons ex p er i enc ed b y R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s i n the Cl ass and
Sub c l asses.
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249. Med i c al moni tor i ng f or neur oc ogni ti v e i mpai r ment i s r easonab l y
nec essar y to pr ov i d e f or ear l y d i agnosi s, l ead i ng to b enef i ts i n tr eatment, management,
r eh ab i l i tati on, and pr ev enti on or mi ti gati on of d amage.
COUNTI
MEDICAL MONITORING
250. Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses i nc or por ate b y r ef er enc e par agr aph s 1
th r ough 249 set f or th ab ov e as i f f ul l y set f or th h er ei n.
251.. Pl ai nti f f s seek to c er ti f y a Cl ass and S ub c l asses.
252. Dur i ng th ei r r espec ti v e NF L. c ar eer s, Reti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s
ex per i enc ed r epeated tr aumati c h ead i mpac ts, i nc l ud i ng sub -c onc ussi v e b l ows and c onc ussi ons,
wi th gr eater f r eq uenc y and sev er i ty th an th e gener al popul ati on of men of a si mi l ar age,
si gni f i c antl y i nc r easi ng th ei r r i sk of d ev el opi ng neur od egener ati v e d i sor d er s and d i seases,
i nc l ud i ng b ut not l i mi ted to CTE, Al z h ei mer ' s, ALS , Par ki nson' s, d ementi a, and oth er si mi l ar
c ogni ti v e-i mpai r i ng c ond i ti ons.
253. Repeti ti v e MTBI d ur i ng NF L pr ac ti c es and games h as a mi c r osc opi c and
l atent ef f ec t on th e b r ai n. Repeti ti v e ex posur e to ac c el er ati ons to th e h ead c auses d ef or mati on,
twi sti ng, sh ear i ng, and str etc h i ng of neur onal c el l s suc h th at mul ti pl e f or ms of d amage take
pl ac e, i nc l ud i ng th e r el ease of smal l amounts of c h emi c al s wi th i n th e b r ai n, suc h as th e Tau
pr otei n. Among oth er th i ngs, th e gr ad ual b ui l d- up of Tau pr otei n someti mes ov er d ec ad es
c auses CTE, wh i c h i s th e same ph enomenon as b ox er ' s enc eph al opath y ( or "punc h d r unk
sy nd r ome") stud i ed and r epor ted b y H ar r i son Mai tl and i n 1928.
254. Th e game of f ootb al l as pl ay ed i n th e NF L, i nc l ud i ng b oth pr ac ti c es and
game pl ay , h as ex posed f or mer pl ay er s to h az ar d ous c ond i ti ons and out- of -th e-or d i nar y r i sks of
h ar m. Th ese r epeti ti v e h ead ac c el er ati ons to wh i c h th e Reti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s h av e b een
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exposed pr esented r i sk s of l atent b ut l ong- ter m. d eb i l i tati ng c h r oni c i l l nesses wh i c h ar e not
pr esented to th e nor mal popul ati on. Ab sent th e Defend ants' negl i genc e, fr aud , and
mi sr epr esentati ons, th e R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s' exposur e to th e r i sk s of h al m as d esc r i b ed
ab ov e woul d h av e b een mater i al l y l ower .
255. Ac c or d i ngl y , th e r epeti ti v e h ead i mpac ts sustai ned b y NF L pl ay er s i n NF L
games and pr ac ti c es exposed R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s i n th a Cl ass and S ub c l asses, to sub tl e
and r epeti ti v e c h anges wi th i n th e b r ai n on th e c el l ul ar l ev el and sub stanti v e h az ar d s.
256. Depend i ng on many fac tor s, i nc l ud i ng th e amount of th e exposur e to
r epeti ti v e h ead i mpac ts and th e r el ease of Tau pr otei n, th e pl ay er/v i c ti m wi l l d ev el op a r ange of
sub tl e to si gni fi c ant neur oc ogni ti v e c h anges ov er ti me.
257. Th e l atent i nj ur i es wh i c h d ev el op ov er ti me and maz ufest l ater i n l i fe
i nc l ud e b ut ai e not l i mi ted to v ar y i ng for ms of neur oc ogni ti v e i mpai r ment, d i sab i l i ty , d ec l i ne,
per sonal i ty c h ange, mood swi ngs, r age, and , someti mes, ful l y d ev el oped enc eph al opath y .
258. Th e NF L was ful l y awar e of th e d anger of exposi ng al l NF L pl ay er s to
r epeti ti v e h ead i mpac ts, i nc l ud i ng th e r epeti ti v e sub-c onc ussi v e and c onc ussi v e b l ows th at
i nc r ease th e r i sk to 1~ TF L pl ay er s of, among oth er l atent i nj ur i es, enc eph al opath y .
259. As noted ab ov e, b y i ts ac ti ons and omi ssi ons and fr aud ul ent c ond uc t, fr om
1994 th r ough 2010, th e NF L fi uth er b r eac h ed i ts d uty (wh i c h i t h ad assumed as l ong ago as th e
1930s) of r easonab l e and or d i nar y c ar e to th e Pl ai nti ffs, th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses b y fai l i ng to
pr ov i d e NF L pl ay er s, i nc l ud i ng th e R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s, th ei r R epr esentati v e
Cl ai mants and Der i v ati v e Cl ai mants, wi th nec essar y , ad eq uate, and tr uth ful i nfor mati on ab out
th e h ei gh tened r i sk s of neur ol ogi c al d amage th at ar i se fr om r epeti ti v e h ead i mpac ts d ur i ng NF L
games and pr ac ti c es.
53
260. , As a p r ox i mate r esul t of th e NF L's tor ti ous c ond uc t, th e R eti r ed NF L
F ootb al l Pl ay er s i n th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses h av e ex p er i enc ed an i nc r eased r i sk of d ev el op i ng
ser i ous l atent neur od egener ati v e d i sor d er s and d i seases, i nc l ud i ng b ut not l i mi ted to CTE,
Al z h ei mer 's, Par k i nson's, ALS , d ementi a, and /or oth er and suni l ar c ogni ti v e-i mp ai r i ng
c ond i ti ons.
261. Th e l atent b r ai n i nj ur i es fr om wl uc h R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s i n th e
Cl ass and S ub c l asses suffer r eq ui r e sp ec i al i z ed testi ng ( wi th r esul tant tr eatment) th at i s not
gener al l y gi v en to th e p ub l i c at l ar ge.
262. Th e av ai l ab l e med i c al moni tor i ng tec h ni q ues ar e sp ec i fi c for i nd i v i d ual s
ex p osed to r ep eti ti v e h ead tr auma and ar e d i ffer ent fr om wh at i s nor mal l y r ec ommend ed i n th e
ab senc e of ex p osur e to th i s r i sk of h ar m.
263. Med i c al moni tor i ng i nc l ud es, b ut i s not l i mi ted to, b asel i ne tests and
d i agnosti c ex ami nati ons wh i c h wi l l assi st i n d i agnosi ng th e ad v er se h eal th effec ts assoc i ated
wi th footb al l-r el ated MTBI. Th i s d i agnosi s wi l l fac i l i tate th e tr eatment and b eh av i or al and /or
p h ar mac euti c al i nter v enti ons th at wi l l p r ev ent or mi ti gate v ar i ous ad v er se c onseq uenc es of th e
l atent neur od egener ati v e d i sor d er s and d i seases assoc i ated wi th th e r ep eti ti v e sub-c onc ussi v e and
c onc ussi v e i nj ur i es th at R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s ex p er i enc ed i n th e NF L.
264. Th e av ai l ab l e med i c al moni tor i ng ex ami nati ons and tests ar e r easonab l y
nec essar y ac c or d i ng to c ontemp or az y sc i enti fi c p r i nc i p l es wi th i n th e med i c al c ommuni ty
sp ec i al i z i ng i n th e d i agnosi s of h ead i nj ur i es and th ei r p otenti al l i nk to, i nter al i a, memor y l oss,
i mp ul se r age, d ep r essi on, ear l y- onset d ementi a, CTE, Al z h ei mer- l i k e sy nd r omes, and si mi l ar
c ogni ti v e-i mp ai r i ng c ond i ti ons.
54
i
265. By moni tor i ng and testi ng th e R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ayer s i n th e Cl ass
and S ub c l asses, th e r i sk th at th ey w i l l suf f er l ong ter m i nj ur i es, d i sease, and l osses w i l l b e
si gni f i c antl y r ed uc ed .
266. Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses, th er ef or e, seek an i nj unc ti on c r eati ng
a Cour t-sup er v i sed , NF L-f und ed med i c al . moni tor i ng p r ogr am, w h i c h w i l l f ac i l i tate th e d i agnosi s
and ad eq uate tr eatment of R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ayer s f or neur oc ogni ti v e i mp ai r ment. Th e
med i c al moni tor i ng p r ogr am sh oul d i nc l ud e a tr ust f und to p ay f or th e b asel i ne assessments and
tr eatment of R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ayer s as f i eq uentl y and ap p r op r i atel y as nec essar y.
267. Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses h av e no ad eq uate r emed y at l aw i n th at
monetar y d amages al one c annot c omp ensate th em f or th e c onti nued r i sk of d ev el op i ng l ong- ter m
p h ysi c al and ec onomi c l osses d ue to c onc ussi ons and sub-c onc ussi v e i nj ur i es. Wi th out Cour t-
ap p r ov ed med i c al moni tor i ng as d esc r i b ed h er ei n, oz estab l i sh ed b y th e Cour t, th e Pl ai nti f f s,
Cl ass and S ub c l asses w i l l c ontui ue to f ac e an unr easonab l e x i sk of c onti nued i nj ur y and
d i sab i l i ty.
COUNT I I
WR ONGF UL DEATH AND S UR VI VAL ACTI ONS
268. R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ayer s and th ei r R ep r esentati v e Cl ai mants and
Der i v ati v e Cl ai mants i n th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses i nc or p or ate b y r ef er enc e p ar agr ap h s 1 th r ough
267 set f or th ab ov e as i f f ul l y set f or th h er ei n.
269. T' h e R ep r esentati v e Cl ai mants of d ec eased R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ayer s
b r i ng th i s ac ti on i n th ei r r ep r esentati v e c ap ac i ty of th e d ec ed ent' s Estate and nex t of k i n and on
b eh al f of th e r esp ec ti v e sur v i v or s of th ose d ec eased R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ayer s.
55
270. As a d i r ec t and p r ox i mate c ause of th e c ond uc t al l eged h er ei n, th e NF L
c aused th e R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s to d ev el op th e d eb i l i tati ng b r ai n d i seases and c ond i ti ons
set f or th ab ov e, wh i c h d i seases and c ond i ti ons c aused ex tr eme p ai n, suf f er i ng, and angui sh and ,
ul ti matel y , th e d eath s of some R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s.
271. Th e R ep r esentati v e Cl ai mants of th e d ec eased R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l
Pl ay er s and th ei r Der i v ati v e Cl ai mants c l ai m d amages r ec ov er ab l e und er ap p l i c ab l e l aw f or al l
p ec uni ar y and non-p ec uni ar y l osses suf f er ed b y th e d ec eased R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s b y
r eason of th ei r d eath s.
272. As a d i r ec t and p r ox unate r esul t of th e unti mel y d eath s of th e d ec eased
R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s, th ei r r esp ec ti v e sur v i v or s and l or sur v i v i ng d i str i b utees h av e b een
d ep r i v ed of th e ear ni ngs, mai ntenanc e, gui d anc e, sup p or t and c omf or t th at th ey woul d h av e
r ec ei v ed f r om f or th e r est of th e r esp ec ti v e d ec eased R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s' natur al l i v es,
and h av e suf f er ed c ommensur ate p ec uni ar y and non-p ec uni ar y l osses b ec ause of th e R eti r ed
NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s' wr ongf ul d eath s.
273. Th e R ep r esentati v e Cl ai mants and th e Der i v ati v e Cl ai mants of d ec eased
R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s c l ai m th e f ul l measur e of d amages al l owed .und er ap p l i c ab l e l aw.
COUNT I I I
F R AUDULENT CONCEALMENT
274. Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses i nc or p or ate b y r ef er enc e p ar agr ap h s 1
275. Between th e eai l y 1950s and 1994, th e NF L knew th at r ep eti ti v e Bead
i mp ac ts i n f ootb al l games and f ul l-c ontac t p r ac ti c es c r eated a r i sk of h ar m to NF L p l ay er s th at
was si mi l ar or i d enti c al to th e r i sk of h ar m to, f oz ex amp l e, b ox er s wh o r ec ei v e r ep eti ti v e i mp ac ts
to th e h ead d ur i ng b ox i ng p r ac ti c es and matc h es.
276. The NF L has been aware of and und erstood the si gni f i c anc e of the
p ubl i shed med i c al l i terature d ati ng f rom as earl y as the 1920s that there i s a seri ous ri sk of short-
term and l ong- term brai n i nj i uy assoc i ated wi th rep eti ti v e traumati c i mp ac ts to the head to whi c h
NF L p l ay ers are ex p osed .
277. Duri ng that ti me p eri od , the NF L k nowi ngl y and f raud ul entl y c onc eal ed
f rom then-c urrent NF L p l ay ers and f ormer NF L p l ay ers the ri sk s of head i nj uri es i n NF L games
and p rac ti c es, i nc l ud i ng the ri sk s assoc i ated wi th rehuni ng to p hy si c al ac ti v i ty too soon af ter
sustauung asub-c onc ussi v e or c onc ussi v e i nj ury .
c onti nued .
278. F rom 1994 through June of 2010, the NF L's f raud ul ent c onc eal ment
279. Duri ng that ti me p eri od , the NF L v ol untari l y f und ed and p rod uc ed i ts own
p urp orted sc i enti f i c researc h and through that researc h rep eated l y mi srep resented to then c urrent
and f ormer NF L p l ay ers, the U ni ted S tates Congress, and the general p ubl i c that there i s no l i nk
(or an 'i nsuf f i c i ent sc i enti f i c l i nk ) between MTBI i n NF L ac ti v i ti es and l ater- i n- l i f e
c ogni ti v e/brai n i nj ury , i nc l ud i ng CTE and i ts rel ated sy mp toms.
280. Gi v en the NF L's sup eri or and uni que v antage p oi nt, the R eti red NF L
F ootbal l Pl ay ers reasonabl y l ook ed to the NF L f or gui d anc e on head i nj uri es and c onc ussi ons.
281. The NF L's MTBI Commi ttee p ubl i shed arti c l es and the c onc ussi on
p amp hl et ref erenc ed abov e, al l of whi c h c onc eal ed and m;ni mi ~ed the ri sk s of rep eti ti v e brai n
i mp ac ts the NF L k new ex i sted f or i ts then-c urrent p l ay ers and f or i ts f ormer p l ay ers, who
reasonabl y rel i ed on the NF L's p ronounc ements and /or si l enc e on thi s v i tal heal th i ssue.
282. The NF L's c onc ussi on p amp hl et c reated an atmosp here of trust that the
NF L had c aref ul l y und ertak en i ts v ol untary resp onsi bi l i ty to researc h, test, stud y , and rep ort
57
ac c ur ate fi nd i ngs to th e p l ay er s and for mer p l ay er s. Th e NF L stated th at "[w]e want to make
sur e al l NF L p l ay er s . . . ar e ful l y i nfor med and take ad v antage of th e most up to d ate i nfor mati on
and r esour c es as we c onti nue to stud y th e l ong- ter m unp ac t of c onc ussi ons. "
283. Th e c onc eal ment was ongoi ng. Dr . Casson p r ov i d ed or al and wr i tten
testi mony at th e 2010 Congr essi onal h ear i ngs i n wh i c h h e c onti nued to d eny th e v al i d i ty of oth er
stud i es. Dr . Casson al so d eni ed th e l i nk between r ep eti ti v e br ai n unp ac ts and sh or t- and l ong-
team br ai n d amage i n p ubl i c i nter v i ews.
284. Th e NF L, th er efor e, c onc eal ed mater i al fac ts and i nfor mati on wi th th e
i ntent to d ec ei v e and d efr aud , wh i c h c aused R eti r ed NF L F ootbal l Pl ay er s i n th e Cl ass and
S ubc l asses to bec ome ex p osed to th e h ar m r efer enc ed abov e.
285. F or th ose R eti r ed NF L F ootbal l Pl ay er s wh o h ad r eti r ed p r i or to th e
abov e-menti oned mi sr ep r esentati ons, th e NF L's c onc er ted c onc eal ment of th e r i sks to wh i c h
th ey h ad been ex p osed on th e p l ay i ng fi el d d el ay ed th ei r abi l i ty to p l an for th e futur e of
th emsel v es and th ei r fami l i es and to seek ap p r op r i ate tr eatment of th ei r l atent neur od egener ati v e
c ond i ti ons.
286. Th e NF I, knew and ex p ec ted th at Pl ai nti ffs, th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses
woul d r el y on th e i nac c ur ate i nfor mati on p r ov i d ed by th e NF L, and Pl ai nti ffs, th e Cl ass and
S ubc l asses i n fac t d i d r easonabl y r el y on th e i nac c ur ate i nfor mati on p r ov i d ed by th e NF L d ur i ng
and after th e c ar eer s of th e R eti r ed NF L F ootbal l Pl ay er s.
287. As a d i r ec t and p r ox i mate r esul t of th e NF L's fr aud ul ent c ond uc t, th e
R eti r ed NF L F ootbal l Pl ay er s i n. th e Cl ass and S ubc l ass h av e suffer ed p h y si c al i nj ur y , i nc l ud i ng,
but not l i mi ted to, ex i sti ng and l atent c ogni ti v e c ond i ti ons th at c r eate memor y l oss, d i mi ni sh ed
c ogni ti v e func ti on, non-ec onomi c l osses, and ec onomi c l osses.
58
288. As a d i r ec t and p r ox i mate r esul t of th e NF L's w i l l ful c onc eal ment, R eti r ed
NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s i n th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses h av e suffer ed and w i l l c onti nue to suffer
sub stanti al i nj ur i es, emoti onal d i str ess, p ai n and suffer i ng, and ec onomi c and non-ec onomi c
d amages th at ar e ongoi ng and c onti nui ng i n natur e.
289. As a r esul t of th e NF L's mi sc ond uc t as, al l eged h er ei n, th e NF L i s l i ab l e to
Pl ai nti ffs, th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses for , and Pl ai nti ffs seek , th e fi ul l measur e of d amages al l ow ed
und er ap p l i c ab l e l aw .
290. As a r esul t of th e NF L's fr aud ul ent c ond uc t as al l eged h er ei n, Pl ai nti ffs
and th e memb er s of th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses ar e enti tl ed to i nj unc ti v e r el i ef i n th e for m of a
med i c al moni tor i ng p r ogr am and an ed uc ati on fund to p r omote safety and i nj ur y p r ev enti on i n
footb al l p l ay er s and to ed uc ate R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s r egar d i ng th e NF L's med i c al and
d i sab i l i ty b enefi ts p r ogr ams and oth er ed uc ati onal p r ogr ams and i ni ti ati v es.
291. As a r esul t of th e NF L's fr aud ul ent c ond uc t as al l eged h er ei n, Pl ai nti ffs
and th e memb er s of th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses ar e enti tl ed to c omp ensator y d amages, as al l ow ed
b y l aw , fr om th e NF L.
CK 111
1
292. Pl ai nti ffs, th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses i nc or p or ate b y r efer enc e p ar agr ap h s 1
th r ough 291 set for th ab ov e as i f ful l y set for th h er ei n.
293. At l east si nc e th e ear l y 195 0's th e NF L k new th at r ep eti ti v e h ead i mp ac ts
i n footb al l games and ful l-c ontac t p r ac ti c es c r eated a r i sk of h ar m to NF L p l ay er s th at w as
si mi l ar or i d enti c al to th e r i sk of h ar m to b ox er s w h o r ec ei v e th e same or si mi l ar r ep eti ti v e
i mp ac ts to th e h ead d ur i ng b ox i ng p r ac ti c es and matc h es.
5 9
Case 2:14- c v -00029- AB Doc ument 1 F i l ed . 01/ 06 114 Page 6 1 of 80
294. At l east si nc e th e ear l y 195 0' s th e NF L knew th at r ep eti ti v e h ead i mp ac ts
i n footb al l games and ful l -c ontac t p r ac ti c es c r eated a r i sk of h ar m to NF L p l ay er s th at was
si mi l ar or i d enti c al to th e r i sk of h ar m to b ox er s wh o r ec ei v e th e same or si mi l ar r ep eti ti v e
i mp ac ts to th e h ead d ur i ng b ox i ng p r ac ti c es and matc h es.
295 . Th e NF L, h owev er , wi th h el d ~ th e i nfor mati on i t knew ab out th e r i sks of
h ead i nj ur i es i n th e game fr om th en-c ur r ent NF L p l ay er s and for mer NF L p l ay er s and i gnor ed
th e known r i sks to al l NF L p l ay er s.
296 . On i nfor mati on and b el i ef, th e NF L d el i b er atel y d el ay ed i mp l ementi ng th e
c h anges to th e game i t knew c oul d r ed uc e p l ay er s' ex p osur e to th e r i sk of l i fe-al ter i ng h ead
i nj ur i es b ec ause th ose c h anges woul d b e ex p ensi v e and woul d r ed uc e th e p r ofi tab i l i ty of th e
League.
297 . Th e NF L h as b een awar e of and und er stood th e si gni fi c anc e of th e
p ub l i sh ed med i c al l i ter atur e d ati ng fr om as ear l y as th e 1920s th at th er e i s a ser i ous r i sk of sh or t-
ter m and l ong- ter m b r ai n i nj ur y assoc i ated wi th r ep eti ti v e tr aumati c i mp ac ts to th e h ead to wh i c h
NF L p l ay er s ar e ex p osed .
298. Th e NF L and i ts agents emp l oy ed to for mul ate th e MTBI c ommi ttee and
p op ul ate th e p ub l i sh ed sc i enti fi c l i ter atur e wi th " stud i es" i ntent on d i sp uti ng th e c onc l usi ons of
i nd ep end ent r esear c h er s r egar d i ng th e l ong- ter m c h r oni c d i sab i l i ti es and i nj ur i es assoc i ated wi th
b ead i nj ur y mad e th ese mater i al mi sr ep r esentati ons wi th th e i ntent to d efr aud th e Pl ai nti ffs, th e
Cl ass and S ub c l asses.
299. Gi v en th e NF L' s sup er i or and uni q ue v antage p oi nt, th e Pl ai nti ffs, th e
Cl ass and S ub c l asses r easonab l y l ooked to th e NF L for gui d anc e on h ead i nj ur i es and
c onc ussi ons.
300. Duri ng th at ti me p eri od , th e NF L knowi ngl y and f raud ul entl y c onc eal ed
f romth en-c urrent NF L p l ayers and f ormer NF L p l ayers th e ri sks of h ead i nj uri es i n NF L games
and p rac ti c es, i nc l ud i ng th e ri sks assoc i ated wi th rettuni ng to p h ysi c al ac ti v i ty too soon af ter
sustai ni ng asub-c onc ussi v e or c onc ussi v e i nj ury.
301. Th e NF L, h owev er, wi th h el d th i s i nf ormati on f rom th en-c urrent NF L
p l ayers and f ormer NF L p l ayers and i gnored th e known ri sks to al l NF L p l ayers.
302. Begi nni ng i n 1994, th e NF L and i ts agents f und ed and c reated a f al si f i ed
bod y of p urp orted sc i enti f i c researc h th at mi srep resented to th en-c urrent NF L p l ayers, al l f ormer
NF L p l ayers, th e U ni ted S tates Congress, and th e general p ubl i c th at th ere was no sc i enti f i c al l y
p rov en l i nk between rep eti ti v e sub-c onc ussi v e and c onc ussi v e i nj uri es sustai ned d uri ng f ootbal l
and brai n i nj ury, i nc l ud i ng but ri ot l i mi ted to CTE and i ts rel ated symp toms.
303. Duri ng th ei r p l ayi ng d ays and af ter th ei r reti rement f rom th e NF L, th e
Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses j usti f i abl y and reasonabl y rel i ed on th e NF L's omi ssi ons and
mi srep resentati ons to th ei r d etri ment.
304. As a resul t of th e NF L's mi sc ond uc t as al l eged h erei n, th e NF L i s l i abl e to
Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses.
305. Th e Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses were d amaged by th e NF L's
mi sc ond uc t. Th ey h av e suf f ered and wi l l c onti nue to suf f er substanti al i nj uri es, emoti onal
d i stress, p ai n and suf f eri ng, and ec onomi c and non-ec onomi c d amages th at are ongoi ng and
c onti nui ng 'i n nature.
306. As a resul t of th e NF L's f raud , th e NF L i s l i abl e to Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass
and S ubc l asses f or, and Pl ai nti f f s seek, th e f ul l measure of d amages al l owed und er ap p l i c abl e
l aw.
61
COUNT V
NEGLIGENT MISREPRESENTATION
307. Pl ai nti ffs, th e Cl ass anal Sub c l asses i nc or p or ate b y r efer enc e p ar agr ap h s 1
308. A sp ec i al r el ati onsh i p ex i sts b etween th e NF L and th e Pl ai nti ffs, th e Cl ass
and Sub c l asses suffi c i ent to i mp ose a d uty on th e NF L to d i sc l ose ac c ur ate i nfor mati on to th e
Pl ai nti ffs.
309. Pr i or to 1994, tl ~ .e NF L knew th at r ep eti ti v e h ead i mp ac ts i n footb al l
games and p r ac ti c es c r eated a r i sk of h ar m to NF L p l ayer s th at was si mi l ar or i d enti c al to th e r i sk
of h ar m to b ox er s wh o r ec ei v e r ep eti ti v e i mp ac ts to th e h ead d ur i ng b ox i ng p r ac ti c es and
matc h es.
310. Pr i or to 1994, th e'NF L was awar e of and und er stood th e si gni fi c anc e of
th e p ub l i sh ed med i c al l i ter atur e d emonstr ati ng th e ser i ous r i sk of b oth sh or t- ter m and l ong- ter m
ad v er se c onseq uenc es fr om th e ki nd of r ep eti ti v e tr aumati c i mp ac ts to th e h ead to wh i c h NF L
p l ayer s wer e ex p osed .
311. Th e NF L, h owev er , wi th h el d th i s i nfor mati on fr om NF L p l ayer s and
i gnor ed th e r i sks to NF L p l ayer s.
312. F r om 1994 th r ough J une of 2010, th e NF L mad e mater i al
mi sr ep r esentati ons to i ts p l ayer s, for mer p l ayer s, th e Uni ted States Congr ess, and th e p ub l i c at
l ar ge th at th er e was no sc i enti fi c al l y p r ov en l i nk b etween r ep er i ti v e tr aumati c h ead i mp ac ts and
l ater- i n- l i fe c ogni ti v e/b r ai n i nj ur y, i nc l ud i ng CTE and i ts r el ated symp toms.
62
313. Def end ant NF L, th er ef or e, mi sr ep r esented th e d anger s th e NF L Pl ay er s
f ac ed i n r etunuug to ac ti on af ter sustai ni ng a h ead i nj ur y and th e l ong- ter m ef f ec ts of c onti nui ng
to p l ay f ootb al l af ter a h ead i nj ur y .
314. Th e NF L's MTBI Commi ttee mad e p ub l i c statements, p ub l i sh ed ar ti c l es,
and i ssued th e c onc ussi on p amp h l et to i ts p l ay er s, wh i c h th e NF L knew or sh oul d h av e known
wer e mi sl ead i ng, d ownp l ay i ng and ob f usc ati ng to NF L p l ay er s th e tr ue and ser i ous r i sks of
r ep eti ti v e Tr aumati c h ead i mp ac ts.
315. Th e MTBI Commi ttee mad e mater i al mi sr ep r esentati ons on mul ti p l e
oc c asi ons, i nc l ud i ng b ut not l i mi ted to testi mony at c ongr essi onal h ear i ngs and oth er i nf or mati on
i ssued to c ur r ent and f or mer NF L Pl ay er s.
316. Th e Pl ai nti f f s' r el i anc e on th e NF L was r easonab l e, gi v en th e NF L's
sup er i or and uni q ue v antage p oi nt on th ese i ssues.
317. Th e Def end ant's mi sr ep r esentati ons i nc l ud ed th e f al se statement th at
p r esent NF L p l ay er s wer e not at an i nc r eased r i sk of sh or t- ter m and l ong- ter m ad v er se
c onseq uenc es i f th ey r etur ned too soon to an NF L games or p r ac ti c es af ter suf f er i ng h ead tr auma
and , th er ef or e, th at f or mer p l ay er s h ad not b een exp osed to suc h i nc r eased r i sk d l u- i ng th ei r ti me
i n th e NF L.
318. Th e NF L's mi sr ep r esentati ons i nc l ud ed ongoi ng and b asel ess c r i ti c i sm of
l egi ti mate sc i enti f i c stud i es th at set f or th th e d anger s and r i sks of h ead i mp ac ts wh i c h NF L
p l ay er s r egul ar l y sustai ned .
319. Th e NF L mad e th ese mi sr ep r esentati ons and ac ti v el y c onc eal ed tr ue
i nf or mati on at a ti me wh en i t knew, or sh oul d h av e known, b ec ause of i ts sup er i or p osi ti on of
63
knowl ed ge, th at th e NF L Pl ay er s f ac ed ser i ous h eal th pr obl ems i f th ey r etai ned to a game too
soon af ter sustai ni ng a c onc ussi on.
320. Th e NF L knew or sh oul d h av e known th e mi sl ead i ng natur e of th ei r
statements wh en th ey wer e mad e.
321. Th e NF L matte th e mi sr epr esentati ons and ac ti v el y c onc eal ed i nf or mati on
knowi ng th at th e Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses woul d and d i d r el y on th e
mi sr epr esentati ons or omi ssi ons i n, among oth er th i ngs, h ow th e Pl ai nti f f s ad d r essed th e
c onc ussi v e and sub-c onc ussi v e i nj ur i es th ey sustai ned .
322. As a r esul t of th e NF L's mi sr epr esentati ons, i t i s l i abl e to Pl ai nti f f s, th e
Cl ass and S ubc l asses.
323. As a d i r ec t and pr ox i mate r esul t of th e NF L's negl i gent
mi sr epr esentati ons, R eti r ed N~'L F ootbal l Pl ay er s i n. th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses h av e suf f er ed and
c onti nue to suf f er ser i ous per sonal i nj ur y , i nc l ud i ng neur oc ogni ti v e br ai n d i sease and assoc i ated
d amages i nc l ud i ng mental d i sabi l i ty , l oss of i nc ome, pai n and suf f er i ng, emoti onal d i str ess, and
l oss of c onsoz - ti um. Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses seek th e f ul l measur e of d amages
al l owed und er appl i c abl e l aw.
COUNT VI
NEGLIGENCE: PR E- 1968 CONDUCT OF '~I3E NF L
324. Pl ai nti f f , th e Cl ass and S ubc l asses i nc or por ate by r ef er enc e par agr aph s 1
th r ough 323 set f or th abov e as i f f ul l y set f or th h er ei n.
325. In 1922, th e Amer i c an Pr of essi onal F ootbal l Assoc i ati on bec ame th e
Nati onal F ootbal l League and i n 1933, th e NF L began d ev el opi ng r ul es and r egul ati ons opl ay
,,i
th at were si gni f i c antl y d i f f erent th an th ose p rev i ousl y f ol l owed and were used by c ol l egi ate
f ootbal l l eagues.
326. I n 1937, th e Ameri c an F ootbal l Coac h es Assoc i ati on p ubl i sh ed a rep ort
warnui g th at p l ay ers wh o suf f er a c onc ussi on sh oul d be remov ed f i om sp orts d emand i ng
p ersonal c ontac t.
327. Between 1933 and 1968, th e NF L assumed and c arri ed out a d uty to
sup erv i se h ow th e game of f ootbal l was p l ay ed i n th e U ni ted S tates.
328. Between 1933 and 1968, th e NF L assumed and c arri ed out a d uty to
i nf orm and ad v i se p l ay ers and teams of th e f oreseeabl e h arm th at c an ari se f rom suc h th i ngs as
th e use of l eath er h el mets, th e need to wear h ard p l asti c h el mets to red uc e h ead wound s and
i nternal i nj ury (1943) and th e grabbi ng of an op p onent' s f ac ei naskto mi ni mi z e or av oi d h ead
and nec k i nj uri es (1956/1962). T b. ese warni ngs and i mp osed saf ety rul es were f urni sh ed by th e
NF L bec ause i t h ad assumed a d uty to p rov i d e a saf e env i ronment f or p l ay ers and bec ause of i ts
sup eri or k nowl ed ge of th e ri sk s. of i nj ury p l ay ers.
329. Based on i nf ormati on and bel i ef , th e NF L v ol untari l y i nserted i tsel f i nto
th e task s assumed by oth ers to d ev el op h el met saf ety stand ard s to red uc e th e ri sk of h ead i nj ury
wh i l e p l ay i ng f ootbal l . Desp i te i ts v ol untary p arti c i p ati on i n th ese ac ti v i ti es, th e d ef end ant
negl i gentl y f ai l ed to ad op t th ese stand ard s f or a c onsi d erabl e p eri od of ti me af ter oth ers h ad d one
330. Duri ng th i s ti me p eri od , th e NF L was ad v i sed or sh oul d h av e been ad v i sed
by med i c al sc i enti sts and h eal th p rof essi onal s, i nc l ud i ng neurol ogi sts and neurosurgeons,
regard i ng th e ri sk s of sh ort and l ong term. neuroc ogni ti v e d i sabi l i ti es and d ef i c i ts to NF L p l ay ers.
6S
3 3 1. Duri ng th i s ti me p eri od , th e NF L knew or sh oul d h av e known th at
rep eti ti v e sub-c onc ussi v e and c onc ussi v e bl ows to th e h ead s of NF L p l ay ers c an and d o resul t i n
sh ort- tez m and l ong- term brai n d amage.
3 3 2. Duri ng th i s ti me p eri od , th e NF L knew or sh oul d h av e Down T h at i t was
th e p rac ti c e i n th e NF L to c omp el or c aj ol e p l ay ers to p l ay wi th i nj uri es, i nc l ud i ng sub-
c onc ussi v e i nj uri es, c onc ussi v e i nj uri es and i nj uri es i nv ol v i ng a l oss of c onsc i ousness.
3 3 3 . Duri ng th i s ti me p eri od , th e NF L h ad sup eri or l c uowl ed ge ( as c omp ared to
th e NF L p l ay ers th emsel v es) th at ath l eti c sp orti ng ev ents c ausi ng sub-c onc ussi v e and c onc ussi v e
i nj uri es p osed a seri ous ri sk of sh ort- term and l ong- term c ogni ti v e d i sabi l i ti es.
3 3 4. T h e NF L's f ai l ure to ad d ress th e c onti nui ng h eal th ri sks assoc i ated wi th
sub-c onc ussi v e and /or c onc ussi v e i nj uri es th at NF L p l ay ers sustai ned bef ore 1968 c onsti tuted a
breac h of i ts d uty to th ese p l ay ers, wh i c h h as resul ted i n l ong- term. neuroc ogni ti v e p robl ems and
d i sabi l i ti es to f ormer NF L p l ay ers, i nc l ud i ng th e R eti red NF L F ootbal l Pl ay ers.
3 3 5. Duri ng th i s ti me p eri od , th e NF L's c onti nui ng p erp etrati on of th e
d angerous my th th at NF L p l ay ers are tough and c an wi th stand " getti ng th ei r bel l rung, "
" suf f eri ng d i ngs, " or temp orari l y l osi ng c onsc i ousness wh i l e p l ay i ng c onsti tutes c ausati v e
negl i genc e. T h e p erp etrati on of mi sl ead i ng and f al se statements and a p h i l osop h y of
i nv i nc i bi l i ty nurtured and p ubl i c i z ed by th e NF L th rough out th i s ti me p eri od c onsti tute
c onti nui ng negl i gent c ond uc t wh i c h th e NF L nev er stop p ed p erp etrati ng unti l subj ec t to
Congressi onal sc ruti ny and th e f i l i ng of c i v i l l awsui ts.
3 3 6. Gi v en th e NF L's sup eri or and uni q ue v antage p oi nt on th e i ssue of h ead
i nj uri es. and c onc ussi ons, th e Pl ai nti f f s reasonabl y rel i ed to th ei r d etri ment on th e NF L's ac ti ons
and omi ssi ons on th e subj ec t.
337. The f ai l ur e of the NF L to p ub l i c i z e w i thi n the League to ac ti v e p l ay er s
and to the p ub l i c at l ar ge, i nc l ud i ng r eti r ed p l ay er s, the mounti ng ev i d enc e i n the sc i enti f i c
l i ter atur e of the ev ol v i ng and c hr oni c neur oc ogni ti v e p r ob l ems amongst f or mer p l ay er s c aused
then-c ur r ent p l ay er s and r eti r ed p l ay er s to b el i ev e that thei r p hy si c al .and p sy c hol ogi c al p r ob l ems
( as d esc r i b ed her ei n) w er e nei ther ser i ous nor r el ated to f ootb al l . These c ommi ssi ons or
omi ssi ons c aused the p l ai nti f f s to i gnor e the need f or nec essar y tr eatment. Li k ew i se, these
omi ssi ons and c ommi ssi ons had the i nsti tuti onal ef f ec t of r ed uc ui g the i nter est i n hel met saf ety
r esear c h, av oi d i ng c hanges i nr ul e-p l ay i ng to mi ni mi z e head i nj ur y , av oi d i ng the need to
p r omul gate r ul es af f ec ti ng the r etur n to p l ay r ul es w hen c onc ussi v e ev ents ar e d etec ted , and
estab l i shi ng p r ogr ams to ed uc ate p l ay er s ab out the r i sk s of sub -c onc ussi v e and c onc ussi v e l ong-
ter m r i sk to thei r heal th.
COUNT VII
NEGLIGENCE: POST- 1968 CONDUCT OF TF IE NF L
338. Pl ai nti f f s, the Cl ass and Sub c l asses i nc or p or ate b y r ef er enc e p ar agr ap hs 1
thr ough 337 set f or th ab ov e as i f f ul l y set f or th her ei n.
339. Inc r easi ngl y , d ur i ng the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the NF L Def end ants
mar k eted the game of f ootb al l as ac c ep tab l y aggr essi v e and i t r ew ar d ed i ts most aggr essi v e
p l ay er s. Thi s mar k eti ng tec hni q ue w as d i r ec ted to the gener al p ub l i c , the f ootb al l c ommuni ty of
p l ay er s assoc i ated w i th or gani z ed f ootb al l f r om sand l ot to c ol l ege. In p ur s~ x i ng these c onc er ted
mar k eti ng tec hni q ues, the NF L Def end ants k new or shoul d hav e k now n that i ts c onf l ati on of
c onc ussi v e-i nd uc i ng aggr essi on w i th her oi sm w oul d i nd uc e NF L p l ay er s and those w ho
esp oused to p l ay i n the NF L to p l ay r ec k l essl y .
67
340. I n. i ts mar k eti ng sc heme, the NF L Defend ants d ev el op ed p r i nt and fi l m
p ac k ages that wer e wi d el y d i str i b uted thzoughout the Uni ted S tates to med i a outl ets and
or gani zed footb al l p r ogr ams as a p ower ful method to c onv i nc e c ur r ent p l ayer s and those i n
c ol l ege and hi gh sc hool footb al l that the gr eater the hi t the b i gger the ac c ol ad es.
341. I n the ear l y 1990s, the NF L v ol untar i l y und er took to stud y the i ssue of
neur oc ogni ti v e i nj w~ i es i n for mer NF L p l ayer s.
342. I n 1994, i n c onnec ti on wi th that v ol untar y und er tak i ng, the NF L c r eated
the afor ementi oned MTBI Commi ttee.
343. The NF L r ec ogni zed that i ts v ol untar y und er tak i ng to stud y and r ep or t
i nfor mati on ab out the effec t of head i mp ac ts on NF L p l ayer s woul d not j ust b e for the b enefi t of
then-p r esent and for mer NF L p l ayer s al one. S i nc e the NF L i s the most p r omi nent and i nfl uenti al
enti ty i n the sp or t of footb al l , the NF L k new or shoul d hav e k nown that i ts MTBI Commi ttee's
statements woul d hav e a b r oad p ub l i c i mp ac t.
344. By v ol untar i l y und er tak i ng to stud y and r ep or t on the i ssue of the
neur oc ogni ti v e effec ts of head i mp ac ts i n p r ofessi onal footb al l , the NF L assumed a d uty to
ex er c i se r easonab l e c ar e i n the MTBI Commi ttee's wor k and the NF L and i ts agents' p ub l i c
statements ab out the sub stanc e of the Commi ttee's wor k .
345. Howev er , the MTBI Commi ttee negl i gentl y p er for med the NF L's
v ol untar i l y und er tak en r esear c h mi ssi on.
346. I n ad d i ti on, fi om 1994 thr ough. June of 2010, the NF L and i ts MTBI
Commi ttee mad e mater i al mi sr ep r esentati ons to p l ayer s, for mer p l ayer s, the Uni ted S tates
Congr ess, and the p ub l i c at l ar ge that ther e was no sc i enti fi c al l y v al i d l i nk b etween r ep eti ti v e
68
tr aumati c head i mp ac ts and l ater- i n- l i f e c ogni ti v e b r ai n i nj ur y , i nc l ud i ng CTE and i ts r el ated
sy mp toms.
347. The NF L's f ai l ur e to ex er c i se r easonab l e c ar e i n i ts v ol untar i l y assumed
d uty i nc r eased the r i sk that the Pl ai nti f f s woul d suf f er l ong- ter m neur oc ogni ti v e i nj ur i es.
348. The Pl ai nti f f s, the Cl ass and S ub c l asses r easonab l y r el i ed to thei r
d etr i ment on the NF L's ac ti ons and omi ssi ons on the sub j ec t.
349. Und er al l of the ab ov e c i r c umstanc es, i t was f or eseeab l e that the NF L's
f ai l ur e to ex er c i se r easonab l e c ax e i n the ex ec uti on of i ts v ol untar i l y und er tak en d uti es woul d
c ause or sub stanti al l y c ontr i b ute to the p er sonal i nj ur i es suf f er ed b y the R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l
Pl ay er s.
350. The NF L's f ai l ur e to ex er c i se r easonab l e c ar e i n the ex ec uti on of i ts
v ol untar i l y und er tak en d uti es p r ox i matel y c aused or c ontr i b uted to Pl ai nti f f s' i nj ur i es.
351. As a r esul t of the NF L's negl i genc e, the NF L i s l i ab l e to Pl ai nti f f s; the
Cl ass and S ub c l asses, and the Pl ai nti f f s ar e enti tl ed to, and seek , al l d amages al l owed b y
ap p l i c ab l e l aw.
COUNT VIII
NEGLIGENCE: CONDUCT OF THE NF L BETWEEN 1987 AND 1993)
352. Pl ai nti f f s, the Cl ass and S ub c l asses i nc or p or ate b y r ef er enc e p ar agr ap hs 1
thr ough 351 set f or th ab ov e as i f f i x l l y set f or th her ei n.
353. Thi s Count z el ates to the mi sc ond uc t of the NF L Def end ants d ur i ng the
y ear s 1987 and 1993, and p er tai ns onl y to R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s who p l ay ed i n the NF L
d ur i ng thi s ti me p er i od .
Case 2:14- c v -00029- AB Doc ument 1 F i l ed 01!06/14 Page 71 of 8Q
354. Duri ng th i s ti me p eri od , th e NF L Def end ants ac ti v el y rec ogni z ed i ts
c ommon l aw d uti es ( d esc ri b ed i n Counts VI and VII ab ov e) and c onti nued , al b ei t negl i gentl y , to
c arry th em out.
355. Conseq uentl y , eac h f ac tual and l egal c l ai m set f orth i n. Counts VI and VII
set f orth ab ov e i s ui c orp orated b y ref erenc e h erei n as i f th ey were set f orth at l ength .
COUNT IX
NEGLIGENCE: POST- 1994 CONDUCT OF THE NF L
356. Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and Sub c l asses i nc orp orate b y ref erenc e p aragrap h s 1
th rough 355 set f orth ab ov e, wi th th e ex c ep ti on of p aragrap h s 31, 65 and 67- 88.
357. Inc reasi ngl y , d uri ng th e 1970x , 1980s and 1990s, th e NF L Def end ants
marketed f i l i e game of f ootb al l as ac c ep tab l y aggressi v e, and i t reward ed i ts most aggressi v e
p l ay ers. Th i s marketi ng tec h ni q ue was d i rec ted to th e general p ub l i c , th e f ootb al l c ommuni ty of
p l ay ers assoc i ated wi th organi z ed f ootb al l f rom sand l ot to c ol l ege. In p ursui ng th ese c onc erted
marketi ng tec h ni q ues, th e NF L Def end ants knew or sh oul d h av e known th at i ts. c onf l ati on of
c onc ussi v e-i nd uc i ng aggressi on wi th h eroi sm woul d i nd uc e NF L p l ay ers and th ose wh o
esp oused . to p l ay i n th e NF L to p l ay rec kl essl y .
358. In i ts marketi ng sc h eme, th e NF L Def end ants d ev el op ed p ri nt and f i l m
p ac kages th at were wi d el y d i stri b uted th rough out th e Uni ted States to med i a outl ets and
organi z ed f ootb al l p rograms as a p owerf ul meth od to c onv i nc e c urrent p l ay ers and th ose i n
c ol l ege and h i gh sc h ool f ootb al l th at th e greater th e h i t, th e b i gger th e ac c ol ad es.
359. In th e earl y 1990s, th e NF L v ol untari l y und ertook to stud y th e i ssue of
neuroc ogni ti v e i nj uri es i n f ormer NF L p l ay ers.
70
Case 2 . : 1 4- c v -0002 9- AB Doc ument 1 F i l ed 01 /06/1 4 Page 72 of 80
360. I u 1 994 , i n c onnec ti on wi th that v ol untar y ur sd er tak i ng, the NF L c r eated
the af or ementi oned MTBI Commi ttee.
361 . The NF L r ec ogni z ed that i ts v ol untar y und er tak i ng to stud y and r ep or t
i nf or mati on about the ef f ec t of head i mp ac ts on NF L p l ay er s woul d not j ust be f or the benef i t of
then-p r esent and f or mer NF L p l ay er s al one. S i nc e the NF L i s the most p r omi nent and i nf l uenti al
enti ty i n the sp or t o f ootbal l , the NF L l ai ew or shoul d hav e k nown that i ts MTBI Commi tteE's
statements woul d hav e a br oad p ubl i c i mp ac t.
362 . By v ol untar i l y und er tak i ng to stud y and r ep or t on the i ssue of the
neur oc ogni ti v e ef f ec ts of head i mp ac ts i n p r of essi onal f ootbal l , the NF L assumed a d uty to
ex er c i se r easonabl e c ar e i n the MTBI Commi ttee's wor k and the NF L and i ts agents' p ubl i c
statements about the substanc e of the Commi ttee's wor k .
363. Howev er , the MTBI Commi ttee negl i gentl y p er f or med the NF L's
v ol untax i l y und er tak en r eseaz c h mi ssi on.
364 . I n ad d i ti on, f i om 1 994 thr ough June of 2 01 0, the NF L and i ts MTBI
Commi ttee mad e mater i al mi sr ep r esentati ons to p l ay er s, f or mer p l ay er s, the U ni ted S tates
Congr ess, and the p ubl i c at l ar ge that ther e was no sc i enti f i c al l y v al i d l i nk between r ep eti ti v e
tr aumati c head i mp ac ts and l ater- i n- l i f e c ogni ti v e/br ai n i nj ur y , i nc l ud i ng CTE and i ts r el ated
sy mp toms.
365. The NF L's f ai l ur e to ex er c i se r easonabl e c ar e i n i ts v ol untar i l y assumed
d uty i nc r eased the r i sk that the Pl ai nti f f s woul d suf f er l ong- ter m neur oc ogni ti v e i nj ur i es.
366. Gi v en the NF L's sup er i or and uni que v antage p oi nt on the i ssue of head
i nj ur i es and c onc ussi ons, the Pl ai nti f f s, the Cl ass and S ubc l asses r easonabl y r el i ed to thei r
d etr i ment on the NF L's ac ti ons and omi ssi ons on the subj ec t.
71
367. The NF L's fai l ur e to ex er c i se r easonab l e c ar e i n the ex ec uti on of i ts
v ol untar i l y und er tak en d uti es p r ox i matel y c aused or c ontr i b uted to R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l
Pl ay er s' i nj ur i es.
368. As a r esul t of the NF L's negl i genc e, the NF L i s l i ab l e to Pl ai nti ffs, the
Cl ass and S ub c l asses, and the Pl ai nti ffs ar e enti tl ed to, and d o seek , al l d amages al l ow ed b y
ap p l i c ab l e l aw .
COUNT X
LOS S OF CONS OR TIUM
369. R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s and thei r S p ouses i nc or p or ate b y r efer enc e
p ar agr ap hs 1 thr ough 368 set for th ab ov e as i f ful l y set for th her ei n.
370. As a r esul t of the NF L Defend ants' mi sc ond uc t, the NF L Defend ants ar e
l i ab l e to the S p ouses of R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s.
371. As a d i r ec t and p r ox i mate r esul t of the i ntenti onal mi sc ond uc t,
c ar el essness, negl i genc e, and r ec k l essness, the R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s hav e sustai ned the
afor esai d i nj ur i es, and thei z S p ouses hav e b een d amaged as fol l ow s:
a. They hav e b een and w i l l c onti nue to b e d ep r i v ed of the ser v i c es,
soc i ety and c omp ani onshi p of thei r r esp ec ti v e husb and s;
b . They hav e, w i l l b e and w i l l c onti nue to b e r eq ui r ed to sp end
money for med i c al c ar e and househol d c ar e for the tr eatment of thei r r esp ec ti v e
husb and s; and
c . They hav e b een and w i l l c onti nue to b e d ep r i v ed of the eatni i i gs of
then r esp ec ti v e husb and s.
72
372. As a r esul t of th e i nj ur i es to R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ay er s, th ei r Spouses
ar e enti tl ed to d amages, as al l eged h er ei n or al l ow ed b y l aw .
COUNT XI
NEGLIGENT HIIi ING
373. Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and Sub c l asses i nc or por ate b y r ef er enc e par agr aph s 1
374. Th e NF L v ol untar i l y and gr atui tousl y i nser ted i tsel f i nto th e b usi ness of
stud y i ng (and sub seq uentl y r end er i ng ex per t opi ni ons ab out) th e r el ati onsh i p b etw een r epeti ti v e
h ead i mpac ts i n f ootb al l and b r ai n i nj ur y .
375. In d oi ng so, th e NF L assumed a d uty to th e Pl ai nti f f s and th e gener al
pub l i c to r etai n and empl oy per sons w i th i n th e MTBI Commi ttee w h o w er e pr of essi onal l y
c ompetent to stud y and r end er opi ni ons on th e r el ati onsh i p b etw een r epeti ti v e h ead i mpac ts i n
f ootb al l and b r ai n i nj ur y and to ensur e th at th ose w h om i t h i r ed h ad no c onf l i c t of i nter est and
th at eac h h ad th e pr of essi onal and per sonal q ual i f i c ati ons to c ond uc t th ose stud i es and r end er
opi ni ons th at w er e sc i enti f i c al l y r i gor ous, v al i d , d ef ensi b l e, and h onest.
376. Th e NF L b r eac h ed i ts d uty to th e Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and Sub c l asses and
th e gener al pub l i c b y h i r i ng per sons w h o:
r esear c h ;
a. w er e unq ual i f i ed ;
b . w er e not c ompetent~ to engage i n r i gor ous and d ef ensi b l e sc i enti f i c
c . w er e not c ompetent to r end er v al i d and d ef ensi b l e opi ni ons;
d . c r eated f r aud ul ent i nd ush y -f und ed r esear c h ; and /or
73
Case 2:14- c v -00029- AB Doc ument 1 F i l ed 01/06/14 Page 75 of 8Q
e. attac k ed as not c r ed i b l e th e v al i d and d efensi b l e r esear c h and
op i ni ons gener ated b y neur osc i enti sts wh o wer e unc onnec ted to and not p ai d b y th e NF L.
377. Th e NF L's negl i genc e i n th i s r egar d r esul ted i n a b od y of fal si fi ed
i nd ustr y-fund ed r esear c h th at p ur p oseful l y and l or negl i gentl y c ontested and sup p r essed v al i d and
tr uth ful b i o-med i c al sc i enc e. Th e NF L's negl i genc e al l owed th e MTBI Commi ttee to use
fal si fi ed i nd ustr y-fund ed r esear c h to mi sl ead th e Pl ai nti ffs, th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses, and th e
gener al p ub l i c r egar d i ng th e r i sk s assoc i ated wi th r ep eti ti v e h ead i mp ac ts i n th e game of footb al l .
378. As a r esul t of th e NF L's negl i genc e, th e R eti r ed NF L F ootb al l Pl ayer s
h av e sustai ned b r ai n i nj ur i es th at ar e p r ogr essi v e and l atent and d i d not tak e p r otec ti v e measur es
or seek th e d i agnosi s and tr eatment th ey woul d h av e sough t h ad th ey b een tol d th e l x uth .
COUNT XII
NEGLIGENT R ETENTION
379. Pl ai nti ffs, th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses i nc or p or ate b y r efer enc e p ar agr ap h s 1
380. Th e'NF L k new or sh oul d h av e k nown th at th e c ontr ol l i ng memb er s of th e
MTBI Commi ttee d emonstr ated an ongoi ng l ac k of c omp etenc e, ob j ec ti v i Ty and i nad eq uate
j ud gment to stud y and r end er ex p er t op i ni ons on th e i ssue of th e r el ati onsh i p b etween r ep eti ti v e
h ead i mp ac ts i n footb al l and b r ai n i nj ur y.
3 81. Th e NF L v ol untar i l y assumed a d uty to th e Pl ai nti ffs and th e gener al
p ub l i c not to a11ow th ose i nc omp etent p er sons i t h ad ] v r ed wi th i n th e MTBI Commi ttee to
c onti nue to c ond uc t i nc omp etent and fal si fi ed stud i es and r end er i nc omp etent op i ni ons on th e
r el ati onsh i p b etween r ep eti ti v e h ead i mp ac ts i n footb al l and b r ai n i nj ur y.
74
Case 2:14- c v -00029- AB Doc ument 1 F i l ed 01/06/14 Page 7 6~ of 80
, '
382. Duri ng th e ti me p eri od wh en th e MTBI was c ond uc ti ng i ts p urp orted
researc h and rend eri ng i ts p urp orted op i ni ons, th e NF L knew or sh oul d h av e known th at th e
p urp orted researc h and op i ni ons of th e MTBI were f al se and i nd ef ensi b l e.
383. Th e NF L b reac h ed i ts d uty to th e Pl ai nti f f s, th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses, and
th e general p ub l i c b y al l owi ng th ese i nc omp etent and unq ual i f i ed p ersons, und er th e ausp i c es
and wi th th e i mp ri matur of th e NF L:
a. to c onti nue to c reate i nc omp etent and i nd ef ensi b l e researc h ,
b . to c onti nue to resi d er i nv al i d and i nd ef ensi b l e op i ni ons, and
c . to c onti nue to attac k th e c red i b l e and d ef ensi b l e researc h and
op i ni ons of neurosc i enti sts not c onnec ted to or p ai d b y th e NF L.
384. Th e NF L' s negl i genc e al l owed th e i nc omp etent memb ers of th e MTBI
Commi ttee to c onti nue to ad v anc e th en f al se and i nc omp etent researc h and op i ni ons i n an
attemp t to sup p ress v al i d b i o-med i c al sc i enc e. Th e NF L' s negl i genc e al l owed th e MTBI
Commi ttee memb ers to i ni .sl ead th e Pl ai nti f f s, oth er f ormer NF L p l ay ers, and th e general p ub l i c
regard i ng th e p ermanent b rai n i nj ury ri sks assoc i ated wi th rep eti ti v e h ead i mp ac ts i n th e game of
f ootb al l .
3 85 . As a resul t of th e NF L' s f ai l ure, th e R eti red NF L F ootb al l Pl ay ers h av e
sustai ned b rai n i nj uri es th at az e p rogressi v e and l atent and d i d not take p rotec ti v e measures or
seek th e d i agnosi s and treatment th ey woul d h av e sough t h ad th ey b een tol d th e truth .
7 5
COUNT XIII
CIVIL CONSPIRACY/F RAUDULENT CONCEALMENT
386. Pl ai nti f f s i nc or p or ate by r ef er enc e p ar agr ap h s 1 th r ough 385 set f or th
abov e as i f f ul l y set f or th h er ei n.
387.. F or d ec ad es, th e Def end ants, al ong w i th oth er s w h o w er e emp l oyed by th e
NF L, i nc l ud i ng th ose w h o p ar ti c i p ated i n th e NF L MTBI Commi ttee, ac ted i n c onc er t to
p er p etr ate th e f r aud ul ent c onc eal ment of th e c onnec ti on betw een r ep eti ti v e MTBI and l ong- ter m
neur oc ogni ti v e d amage, i l l ness, and d ec l i ne.
388. Th e Def end ants, al ong w i th th ose w h o p ar ti c i p ated i n th e c onc er ted ef f or ts
r ef er enc ed abov e, know i ngl y f ai l ed to d i sc l ose and /or mad e c onti nui ng mi sr ep r esentati ons of
mater i al f ac t th at th er e w as an absenc e of any sc i enti f i c basi s to bel i ev e th at r ep eti ti v e MTBI
c r eated any l ai ow n l ong- ter m neur oc ogni ti v e r i sks to NF L p l ayer s. Th at mi sc ond uc t by th e
Def end ants exp osed Pl ai nti f f s to an i nc r eased r i sk of br ai n i nj ur y and w as th e p r oxi mate c ause of
th e Pl ai nti f f s' br ai n i nj ur i es.
389. Pl ai nti f f s h av e suf f er ed p er sonal i nj ur i es as a r esul t of th e named
Def end ants' c onc er ted ac ti v i ti es.
PRAYER F OR RELIEF
WHEREF ORE, Pl ai nti f f s and member s of th e Cl ass and Subc l asses p r ay f or
j ud gment w i th r esp ec t to th ei r Comp l ai nt as f ol l ow s:
1. Wi th r esp ec t to Count I, c er ti f yi ng th e Cl ass and Subc l asses p r op osed i n
th i s Comp l ai nt p ur suant to F ed . R. Ci v . P. 23( a) ( 1- 4) & 23( b) ( 2) ( w i th a r i gh t to op t out) or
al ter nati v el y p ur suant to F ed . R. Ci v . P. 23( b) ( 3) ;
76
2. W i th r esp ec t to Count I , gr anti ng an i nj unc ti on for th e r eq uested med i c al
moni tor i ng r el i ef;
3 . W i th r esp ec t to Counts I I th r ough X I I I , c er ti fy i ng th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses
p r op osed i n th i s Comp l ai nt p ur suant to F ed . R. Ci v . P. 23 ( a} ( 1 - 4- ) & 23 ( b ) ( 3 ) ;
4. W i th r esp ec t to al l c ounts, awar d i ng Pl ai nti ffs and Cl ass and S ub c l ass
memb er s d amages, th ei r c osh and d i sb ur sements i n th i s ac ti on, i nc l ud i ng r easonab l e attor ney s'
fees, to th e ex tent p er mi tted b y l aw;
5. W i th r esp ec t to al l c ounts, gr anti ng Pl ai nti ffs and Cl ass and S ub c l ass
memb er s suc h oth er and fur th er r el i ef as may b e ap p r op r i ate;
6. G r anti ng an awar d to al l Pl ai nti ffs i n th e Cl ass and S ub c l asses
p r ej ud gment i nter est, c osts and attor ney s' fees.
DEMAND F OR , TI I RY TRI AL
Pl ai nti ffs d emand a tr i al b y j ur y on al l matter s so tr i ab l e.
Dated : Januar y 6, 2014
77
Resp ec l y b mi i fed :
C r i ~ s p h er A. S eeger
~ EG ER W EI S S LLP
7 W ater S i x eet,
NeW Yor k, NY 10005
Ph one: ( 212) . 584- p 700
F ax : ( 212) 584- 0799
c seeger @seeger wei ss. c om
Co- Lead Cl ass Counsel
/s/S ol W ei ss
S ol W ei ss
ANAPOL S CHW ARTZ
171 Q S p r uc e S tr eet
Ph i l ad el p h i a, PA 19103
Ph one: ( 21S } 73 5- 113 4
F ax : ( 215} 73 5- 2424
swei ss@anap ol sc h war tz. c om
Co- Lead Cl ass ~ ' v unsel
Cl ass Cou~ i seC
/s/S tev en C. Marks /s/ Gene Loc ks
S tev en C. Marks Gene Loc ks
PODHURS T ORS ECK P.A. ~ LOCKS LAW F IRM
Ci ty N ati onal Bank Bui l d i ng The Curti s Center
25 W. F l agl er S treet, S ui te 800 S ui te 720 East
Mi ami , F L 33130=1780 601 Wal nut S treet
Phone: (305) 358- 2800 Phi l ad el p hi a, PA 191Q6
F ax: (305) 358- 2382 Phone: 866-562- 5752
smac ks@p od hurst.c om F ax: (215) 893- 3444
gl oc ks@l oc ksl aw.c om
S ubc l ass Counsel
/s/ Arnol d Lev i n /s/ Di anne M. N ast
Arnol d Lev i n Di anne M. N ast
LEVIN F IS HBEIN S EDRAN & S ERMAN N AS T LAW LLC
510 Wal nut S treet, S ui te 500 1101 Market S treet, S ui te 2801
Phi l ad el p hi a, PA 19106 Phi l ad el p hi a, Pennsyl v ani a 19107
Phone: (215) 592- 1500 Phone: (215) 923- 9300
F ax: (215) 592- 4663 F ax: (215) 923- 9302
al ev i n@l f sbl aw.c om DN ast@nastl aw.c om
Counsel f or S ubc l ass I Counsel f or S ubc l ass 2
Of Cou~ i sel
Thomas V. Gi rard i Mi c hael D. Hausf el d
Graham B. Li p p S mi th Ri c hard S . Lewi s
GII2ARDI KEE5E ~ AAUS F ELD LLP
1126 Wi l shi re Bl v d 1700 K S heet, N .W., S ui te 650
Los Angel es, CA 90017 Washi ngton, D.C. 20006 ,
Phone: (213) 977- 0211 ~ Phone: (202) 540- 7200
F ax: (213) 481- 1554 F ax: (202) 540- 7201
tgi rard i@gi rard i keese.c om mhausf el d @hausf el d l l p .c oz n
gl i p p smi th@gi rard i keese.c om rl ewi s@hausf el d l l p .c om
James R. Dugan, II Anthony Tarri c one
THE DUGAN LAW F IRIVI KREIN DLER & KREIN DLER LLP
One Canal Pl ac e, S ui te 1000 277 Dartmouth S treet
365 Canal S treet ~ Boston, MA 02116
N ew Orl eans, LA 70130 Phone: (617) 424- 9100
Phone: (504) 648- 0180 F ax: (617) 424- 9120
F ax: (504) 648- 0181 atarri c one@krei nd l er.c om
j d ugan@d ugan-l a~ rm. c orn
78
Case 2:14- c v -00029- AB Doc ument 1 F i l ed 01/06/14 Page 80 of SO
Mi c hael L. Mc Gl amry
POPE, MCGLAMRY, KILPATRICK
MORRISON & NORWOOD, P.C.
3455 Peac htree Road , NE
The Pi nnac l e, Sp i te 925
P.O. Box 191625 (31119- 1625)
Atl anta, GA 30326- 3243
Phone: (404) 523- 7706
F ax: (404) 524- 1648
ef i l e@p mkm.c om
Charl es S. Zi mmerman
ZIl VIl I~RMAN REED PLLP
1100 IDS Center
80 South Ei ghth Street
T~~i i nneap ol i s, MN 55402
Phone: (612) 341- 0400
F a~c : (612) 341- 0844
Charl es. zi mmei ~nan@zi mmreed . c om
Dav i d S. Casey, J r.
F red Sc henk
CASEY GERRY SCHENK
F RANCAVII.LA BLATT & PENF IELD
LLP
110 Laurel Street
San Di ego, CA 92101- 1486
Phone: (619) 238- 1811
F ax: (619) 544- 9232
d c asey@c gl aw.c om
f sc henk@c gl aw.c om
79
Dav i d A. Rosen
ROSE, KLEIN & MARIAS LLP
801 South Grand Av enue, 11th F l oor
Los Angel es, CA 90017- 4645
Phone: (213) 626- 0571
F ax: (213) 623- 7755
d .rosen@rl anl aw.net
Derri el Mc Corv ey
THE LAW F IRM OF DERRIEL C.
MCCORVEY
115 VJ . Mai n Street, Sui te 14
P.O. Box 2473
Laf ayette, LA 70501
Phone: (337) 291- 2431
d erri el @mc c orv eyl aw.c om
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby c ert i f y t ha t on Ma y 5, 2014, I c a used t he f oregoi ng Mot i on t o Int erv ene,
proposed Order, a nd Memora ndum of La w t o be f i l ed wi t h t he Uni t ed St a t es D i st ri c t Court f or
t he Ea st ern D i st ri c t of Pennsyl v a ni a v i a t he Court ' s CM/ECF syst em, whi c h wi l l prov i de
el ec t roni c not i c e t o a l l c ounsel a nd pa rt i es.
/s/ W i l l i a m T. Ha n~l ev

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