Junior Seau’s family sues NFL over his brain disease and suicide
The wrongful death lawsuit, filed Wednesday in California Superior Court in San Diego, blames the NFL for its “acts or omissions” that hid the dangers of repetitive blows to the head. It says Seau developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from those hits, and accuses the NFL of deliberately ignoring and concealing evidence of the risks associated with traumatic brain injuries.
Seau died at age 43 of a self-inflicted gunshot in May. He was diagnosed with CTE, based on posthumous tests, earlier this month.
An Associated Press review in November found that more than 3,800 players have sued the NFL over head injuries in at least 175 cases as the concussion issue has gained attention in recent years. More than 100 of the concussion lawsuits have been brought together before U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody in Philadelphia.
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Well yeah-UH…the NFl has billions in TV contracts, we aren’t going to sue poor people.
JFKY on January 23, 2013 at 2:06 PM
Men freely choose to engage in an inherently risky job, get paid millions, and it’s the league’s fault. Ah yup. Sure.
Difficultas_Est_Imperium on January 23, 2013 at 2:07 PM
Camel’s nose in the tent.
Nanny-libs hate football for the same reasons they hate guns, hamburgers, suburbs, SUVs and anyone to the right of Che: because such things are foreign & icky and because nanny-libs are pretty much the most ignorant, closed-minded & bigoted folks around.
They dont like it so you cant have/do it.
You dont reason with or communicate with such individuals. You live your life around them and if one gets in your way, they get a frozen mackeral upside the head.
Sacramento on January 23, 2013 at 2:09 PM
Ruining the game one lawsuit at a time… Because we need even more from our sons life…
Theworldisnotenough on January 23, 2013 at 2:10 PM
Um…it doesn’t take a freaking genius to work out that 250lb men smashing each other in head over and over again is risky business.
But if you voluntarily sign up for it and take the, not inconsiderable, paycheck that is ON YOU.
Newsflash – Football is dangerous. Like racing, skydiving, free diving…
I despair.
Next up – someone from DevGru suing the Navy for a broken toenail.
CorporatePiggy on January 23, 2013 at 2:10 PM
But he didn’t KNOW….I’m thinking you, sir, are a……..RACIST.
JFKY on January 23, 2013 at 2:11 PM
Who could have guessed that this would have happened? Oh that’s right everyone sadly.
Cash in on your loved ones death, color me surprised.
I hope it comes out how Junior hid his concussions from his coaches and team doctors so that he could continue to play.
I loved Junior as a player and will remember him as one of the best at his position, but, the hypocrisy needs to end.
These players are playing a violent game voluntarily and being well (over) compensated for it. They all know the risks and enter into contracts accepting those risks. I don’t want to come across too harsh but these players hold some of the responsibilities for these head injuries as well. I mean who is doing the hitting? It certainly isn’t the coaches, owners or league officials. They are doing it to themselves.
RIP Junior.
D-fusit on January 23, 2013 at 2:16 PM
There’s no way in hell to connect his suicide with his brain damage. But that doesn’t matter. Today, the University of Cincinnati awarded $2 million+ to the family of an 18 year old student who died after being tased by the UC police for getting in their face after he was ordered to back off. Incidentally, he’d been tased within the last year also. It’s a litigious, unfair society, where truth and law don’t matter so much as who you are, who you know, and how much noise you make.
Paul-Cincy on January 23, 2013 at 2:23 PM
Jr Seau knew the risks when he volunteered for the draft, folks…..
ted c on January 23, 2013 at 2:24 PM
Doctors have known for years that repeated blows to the head can cause brain trauma and dementia later in life, mostly from their experience with boxers. They even have a medical term for it. I think its something like “Pugilista dementia.” Most people just call it being “punch drunk” or “punchy”. Those football players knew the risks going in.
tommyboy on January 23, 2013 at 2:33 PM
I didn’t hear any of these athletes complaining when the paychecks were coming in. Did you?
portlandon on January 23, 2013 at 2:37 PM
Much as it would be dispicable, just like this suit here, the NFL should countersue the family for not recognizing the signs before he took his life. It’s just as fair a lawsuit and the NFL could claim lost revenue from events Jounior would have been a part of. ‘Course it’ll never happen, I’m sure the NFL will settle but at some point people have to punch back twice as hard over these ridiculous lawsuits.
brainy435 on January 23, 2013 at 2:48 PM
Any time you play a sport, whether in school, professionally, or just for recreation, you should automatically assume the risks involved. Anyone who’s read the back of their ski ticket knows the stuff I’m talking about. The only way I see the NFL as being remotely liable is if they indeed purposely withheld all the risks involved in the sport.
Some things should be common sense…possible injury in full contact sports…I just hope this doesn’t go down the road of the woman who sued McDonalds because her coffee was too hot and she spilled it on herself as she had it between her legs. Or a smoker who sues Big Tobacco for his cancer.
Unfortunately, legality isn’t always seen through common sense. That’s why there are lawyers.
JetBoy on January 23, 2013 at 2:51 PM
I am really concerned when suicide is made into some one else’s FAULT.
Ill people eat that up, they want to “show someone,” to “make someone feel bad” to make them realize how bad they feel. It isn’t rational, but having the law start to say someone else is responsible for suicide can be used to assign punishment to enemies. It’s a sick victimology. A way of striking back at enemies.
Many of the drugs that are prescribed today are part of the problem, but I would not start blaming the repeated hits in the head, until I saw the list of meds the person was taking. No mention of the meds in the article?
Why not blame this persons doctor for missing it, they knew they played football….it’s just the team has more money to sue for than the doctor.
Fleuries on January 23, 2013 at 2:56 PM
Wait a minute , you mean to tell me that repeatedly banging your head into a brick wall , everyday for 20+ years can cause brain problems…NAAAHHHH!!!!
TXChas on January 23, 2013 at 2:57 PM
I would contend that Seau may have suffered from some sort of depression his whole life. For a good chunk of his life he was in school and/or playing a sport which is a very regimented life. Just like a armed forces member that retires after 20+ years in the service, whatever structure Seau had was gone. With too much time on his hands, his depression surfaced again to the point that he couldnt or didnt know how to deal with it.
Rich on January 23, 2013 at 2:57 PM
Interesting nugget buried deep in the story:
I’m surprised they aren’t suing the teams individually (Charges and Patriots) that Junior played on.
Try reading the back of your Major League Baseball ticket some time. That also has a legal disclaimer, to the effect that by using said ticket the user is willing to accept the possibility of being injured by a batted or thrown baseball, or a flying bat, or piece thereof.
Del Dolemonte on January 23, 2013 at 3:27 PM
Who would have known that if you play in the NFL you might get hurt? His family is just looking for free money.
Dollayo on January 23, 2013 at 3:41 PM
boy that family sure is greedy..Seau made millions of dollars from the NFL and i would hope he left a lot of it to his family..
sadsushi on January 23, 2013 at 3:51 PM
Yeah. Right. Who the heck could have known that repetitive blows to the head were very dangerous? This argument is as stupid, or more so, than the arguments that people needed the tobacco companies to tell them that smoking is bad for you.
besser tot als rot on January 23, 2013 at 3:56 PM