Last year, I filed the first federal concussion suits against the National Football League in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Since then, many other Law firms have followed suit, and together nearly 200 former football players are involved, alleging the NFL failed to properly inform & treat their concussions.
This week, we will file additional suits on behalf of deceased players whose loved ones were lead to believe they died of Lou Gherig's disease, or ALS. "Turns out, they didn't have ALS. Their families donated their organs, including their brains, to the Boston University medical college. Analysis shows they suffered from what's called CTE."
CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in athletes with a history of repetitive brain trauma. CTE has a definitive cause, such as concussions, where as ALS, in 90% of cases, the cause is unknown.
On Thursday, a judicial panel will consider consolidating these two hundred and something lawsuits into a Multi-District Litigation.
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One Comment
Fern Cohen
I am wondering how many people died thinking they had ALS and really had something else, and if we csn find a way to learn this information while the patient is still alive. The reason I think this is important is that, when a patient is diagnosed with ALS -- as I was 8 years ago -- there is a mindset of impending doom which causes a lot of people to give up. Health care professionals also have an attitude when they see ALS on a patient's chart that there is nothing left but a sort of palliative care. There is no hope given except for one medication which only prolongs life a few months. Things like physical therapy and holistic care are often discouraged. We all know how important mental attitude is in any sickness, and a diagnosis of ALS usually takes away any positivity which can have a healing effect.
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