By Ken Bensinger, Armand Emamdjomeh and Marc Lifsher
Los Angeles Times
By the thousands, professional athletes from around the country are seeking medical care or money through California’s workers’ compensation system for brain trauma and other injuries suffered on the playing field.
Former athletes have filed more than 4,400 claims involving head and brain injuries since 2006 — seven times more than in the previous 15 years, according to a Times analysis of state records. Nearly three-quarters of all new claims made in California now include alleged brain injuries.
Most of these claims come from former pro football players, brought by superstars such as Joe Theismann, Tony Dorsett and Earl Campbell, as well as unheralded practice squad players.
The claims represent a huge financial risk for National Football League teams. Research suggests that repeated head trauma from violent contact can lead to dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other incurable conditions.
If you’d like to discuss employment or health care law, contact David Weissman, dweissman@roselawgroup.com
