The NY Times reports today on a court case that will award millions of dollars to about 21,000 former NFL players who are expected to get, or already have, serious illnesses like Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and dementia, due to concussions they received playing football.
Apparently, neither side in the case denies the damages. To quote:
Experts for both sides have said they expect about 6,000 of the retirees — or nearly 3 in 10 — to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or moderate dementia someday. The settlement would pay them about $190,000 on average.
Dozens of others are expected to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Younger men with these conditions could get up to several million dollars for medical care and other expenses.
At issue is the contention that the NFL hid what it knew about the dangers of players returning to the field soon after they received a head injury.
Which brings up one of my questions in the “Questions” section of this website: With all the recent news linking football and boxing to an increased risk for getting Parkinson’s, is anyone calling for a ban on these sports?
Would you research your questsion then write up what you find? Thank you.