A "rebellion is underway" in the $1B NFL concussion case, as lawyers representing thousands of former players are "asking a federal judge to curb the league's influence in the process and correct flaws that have allegedly threatened the settlement's integrity and left many brain-injured players unpaid," according to a front-page piece by Bob Hohler of the BOSTON GLOBE. Attorney Peter Shahriari, whose firm reps about 250 former players, said in court documents that the settlement is "broken" and "on the brink of collapse." Shahriari claims the NFL is "evading its obligations to compensate brain-injured players by waging 'a campaign to hide the truth about the dangers of the game' and by calling the former players and their doctors deceptive and fraudulent." NFL VP/Communications Brian McCarthy indicated that the league is "responsibly fulfilling its commitment but is indeed concerned about fraud." McCarthy: "We are ensuring that legitimate claims are processed and paid in a timely way to those individuals and families who deserve these benefits. We believe that it is entirely appropriate to continue to oppose fraudulent and unsupported claims. No legitimate claim has been rejected." Hohler noted the protesting lawyers are "pressing for new leadership in their ranks." As of March 26, 1,731 retired players had "submitted claims for monetary awards," but only 156 -- less than 10% -- have "received payments" totaling $150M. In all, claims by 350 players have "received initial approval" for about $380M, but nearly 200 players have "yet to receive a check." An additional 214 claims "have been denied." Meanwhile, lawyers representing a majority of the players have asked U.S. District Judge Anita Brody to "appoint the Locks firm as an administrative counsel." Brody will be deciding "whether Locks would effectively replace the current court-approved lead counsels" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/31).
CONTINUING TO RAISE AWARENESS: In San Diego, Tod Leonard noted the sister of late former NFLer Junior Seau on Saturday organized a "symposium on football head injuries" in the city. Seau's parents "spoke extensively in public for the first time since their son's suicide at the age of 43." The event staged by Mary Seau was to "raise money for her foundation that supports" Boston Univ.'s work with CTE. The event's keynote speaker was Concussion Legacy Foundation co-Founder & CEO Dr. Chris Nowinski, who is "internationally recognized as being among the most high-profile advocates for the research and prevention of CTE" (SANDIEGOUNIONTRIBUNE.com, 3/31).
