More Players Join the NFL Concussion Lawsuits

In the past three days, 177 additional former players joined the NFL concussion lawsuits. On Wednesday, Hausfeld LLP amended Boyd et al v. NFL, by adding 100 additional players.

The Locks Law Firm also kept its weekly streak alive by filing a mass personal injury lawsuit on Thursday. The lawsuit includes 70 former players and their wives. The lead plaintiff is a four-time Pro Bowler and former actor, Alex Karras. According to the AP’s report, Karras was diagnosed with dementia seven years ago. The case is captioned Alex Karras et al v. NFL.

The above lawsuits were filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and will soon be consolidated with the multi-district litigation (MDL) proceedings in front of Judge Brody.

On Friday, a class action was filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana and names seven class representatives: Michael Brooks, Harold Bishop, Ronnie Halliburton, Liffort Hobley, Justin Vincent, Corey Raymong, and Shawn King. The putative class seeks to represent “All persons, and spouses of persons, who sustained one or more concussions, or suffered concussion like symptoms, while playing in an NFL football game and who has developed or will develop mental or physical problems as a result of the concussions or concussion like symptoms.”

The class action asserts counts of negligence, fraud, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, conspiracy, loss of consortium, and medical monitoring. The lawsuit was filed by The Law Office of Derriel C. McCorvey, L.L.C; the Singleton Law Firm; Andrus Hood & Wagstaff; and Mike Espy PLLC. Like the other lawsuits filed outside of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, this class action will soon become a “tag-along action” and be transferred to Judge Brody.

There are now more than 1,200 – approximately 1,253 – players named in the 58 lawsuits. As I repeatedly say, the lawsuits will continue to be filed as more players hear that their purported rights may be vindicated. As to the question of whether there is a deadline to join the lawsuits, there technically is not one. In America, every person/player is entitled to his or her day in court.