Days before Super Bowl, NFL faces another brain injury lawsuit
Many Los Angeles, California, residents enjoyed the tackles and touchdowns between the Seahawks and Broncos in the recent Super Bowl. Unfortunately, though, another brain injury-related lawsuit was filed against the National Football League. Reportedly, Jahvid Best is suing the football league and Riddell, the official helmet maker of the NFL, for concussions that ended his career.
According to the report, Best’s claim was filed just days before the Super Bowl. The athlete, who had been a college player in California, alleges that the NFL has been aware of the risks of traumatic brain injuries to players for years, but aggressively concealed and deliberately ignored the information.
The lawsuit said that the NFL was aware of the risks associated with repetitive blows to the head, which may result in long-term brain damage. Despite that, the league failed to warn Best and other athletes from the health hazards or even set up safety regulations to address the safety and health issues in the contact sport.
Jahvid Best was drafted by the Lions in 2010. His football career turned downhill after suffering several different concussions. He has not played since. In July, Best was released by the Lions. He was asking an undisclosed amount for compensatory and punitive damages from the two defendants.
Sports-related brain injury cases are expected to increase as many Americans become aware of the serious injury risks of contact sports. While the NFL made no definite recommendations on how to prevent football-related brain injury, informing the athletes about the risks and health hazards might be an important step.
Brain injury lawsuits may not only hold allegedly negligent parties liable for compensation, it may also encourage sports organizations to pay more attention to brain injuries during all of their games, including the Super Bowl.
Source: Sports Injury Alert, “Former Lions running back Jahvid Best sues NFL over concussions,” Aly Lewnes, Jan. 31, 2014