Goldston was one of just 700 of the 20,000 players who filed the case to be approved for paymentEAGLES
The NFL agreed to pay more than $1B in a settlement to victims of CTE, but as the payments "begin to trickle out, some of the recipients have been stunned to find they may receive just pennies on the dollar of what they're owed, likely setting off another spate of frustrating court battles," according to Murphy & Garcia-Roberts of USA TODAY. Some recipients have "even received notices that show pending payments in the negative." The family of former NFLer Ralph Goldston learned this month that they had only been "awarded $160,000 from the settlement." However, that preliminary award "dwindled to negative $737 after deductions and 'holdbacks,' including thousands the court has kept in case the family owes money" for Goldston's medical bills. Money that people "counted on will instead, for now, remain in the NFL's settlement fund or will be redirected to insurance companies, lawyers, credit card companies or others who have placed a lien on the awards." Out of 20,000 players "involved in the suit, less than 700 have been approved for payment so far." Some "blame in part lawyers who have filed liens seeking a large percentage of the awards even though they did minimal work on the case or recruited players with false promises after the settlement was reached." Terms of the settlement "created a formula for each player's specific case," and a court administrator then decided "how much of the settlement fund to disperse, while holding back any money contested in a lien." A claims administrator said that "payments in the settlement" total nearly $570M. However, that "includes claims the NFL has appealed," and the high-dollar figure has been "touted by both sides as evidence that the settlement is already compensating players." Until now, the "specific dollar amounts withheld from players had not been reported" (USA TODAY, 10/24).
DEFENDING THE PROCESS: Attorney Christopher Seeger, the co-lead counsel for the retired players in the concussion case, strongly defended the settlement process, claiming in a statement the USA Today story "contains numerous inaccuracies and presents a misleading picture." Seeger: "The basic fact, which USA Today buries in its report yet hinges its entire story upon, is that the payout determinations it highlights are not final." Seeger also writes, "No class member has been left with a 'negative' settlement amount. To imply otherwise is completely irresponsible. ... The settlement is working effectively. This story does a disservice to players and families who are relying on benefiting from this landmark program" (TWITTER.com, 10/23).
