One of the most notorious names in American Football history is suing the National Football League (NFL) over concussions. Widely known for his exceptional quarterback skills, Dan Marino, former Miami Dolphins superstar is igniting headlines everywhere for his current federal lawsuit.
Having Marino attached to this suit has sparked past and present players who have suffered severe concussions to come forward as well as increasing the pressure for a huge settlement.
Marino is categorized as an elite quarterback who not only has his name in the football hall of fame, but also starred for the Dolphins 17 consecutive seasons.
Marino is not alone in his suit. He along with 14 other NFL players are in the midst of fighting for this as well. Court documents prove the above, being as they were filed last week in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The lawsuit states that the NFL allegedly was aware of an essential correlation between concussions and chronic health issues to the exhausting football conditions players must endure.
Marino and others are requesting that a jury be present in deciphering the monetary injuries in addition to medical monitoring for former players with health problems as related to concussions incurred while playing football.
The players involved in this case have all submitted a concise complaint explaining that they are currently suffering from brain trauma in addition to demonstrating specific symptoms that have advanced over time caused from head to head contact while on the field.
The NFL has spoken and has agreed to pay $765,000,000 in regards to this matter in order to settle. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy reported they have no comment at this time.
This issue is not unfamiliar to the legal circuit as it has an estimated amount of $20,000 members over a 65 year lifespan. The members include former NFL players with signs of early dementia, moderate dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as well as death having post mortem diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disorder.
The judge assigned to a prior concussion case that took place this past January actually declined the $760,000,000 settlement previously submitted by the NFL. Her reasoning was that she thought it wasn’t enough money.
With Marino on their side, it can only help matters for the players involved, former player Coy Wire informed CNN’s “New Day” on Tuesday.
“I think what this does is sets this into a new category because Dan Marino is a household name in the sport of football, a Hall of Famer, iconic individual who was never known to be lazy, who would not be known to make a money grab,” said Wire, previous linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons as well as Buffalo Bills. “This guy is changing the game for the players in terms of the perception of what’s happening here with this suit.”
HLN legal specialist Danny Cevallos said that with Marino’s title acknowledgment and status it will undoubtedly drive a higher payout.
Other former players involved in the case include Erik Affholter, Richard Bishop, Bruce Clark, Chris Dugan, Anthony Grant, Mark Green, John Huddleston, Ethan Johnson, LaCurtis Jones, Peter Manning, Toddrick McIntosh, Moses Moreno, Jackie Wallace, and Dwight Wheeler.
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