US legal panel decides to have all concussion related cases heard under same judge - NFL News
A United States Judicial Panel on Tuesday decided to combine all four lawsuits against the National Football League (NFL) under one federal judge.
Philadelphia district court judge Anita B. Brody has been selected to hear all four cases and decide their outcomes with both the NFL who have vowed to defend themselves vigorously and their accusers who are chasing a payoff from the league welcoming the
decision.
"(This) allows Judge Brody to now bring everybody together and put this in an organized environment where all the legal issues and the medical issues and the scientific issues can all be decided in one place," said lawyer, Larry Coben of Philadelphia, who
filed the first lawsuit in August on behalf of McMahon and six others.
The NFL has been facing a string of lawsuits this year from former players and their families. The prosecutors are blaming the League for not providing enough information to players about concussions and their long term effects on health.
They also blame the league of withholding the results of scientific research into concussions from the players.
The League however, denies any wrong doing instead saying that they make every effort to educate and guide players regarding concussions and have made player safety of paramount importance.
The NFL also wants the court to throw out the cases since it says that lawsuits are against the collective bargaining arrangements signed by players who take part in league sanctioned matches.
The NFL faces cases from big legends such as Jim McMahon who has two Super Bowl rings but regularly faces headaches and dizziness after a career spanned with concussion related injuries.
Judge Brody was already hearing a case against the NFL before the US judicial panel assigned her all similar cases undergoing investigation in different states.
Concussions are one of the most serious and common injuries that occur in a league known for its physical play.
The NFL recently clamped down on dangerous hits and tackles to protect players, placing monitors in the press rooms during games to make the bench aware of any player showing concussion like symptoms.
There are other similar cases undergoing investigation across the US and those could also be lined up to be heard by the same judge.
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