Can You Sue for Concussions After Death?

Ladyblogger
September 19, 2012

(U.S. Law) America is a country that loves sports. Ratings from the 2012 Super Bowl showed that over one-third of Americans actually tuned in for the game; which was the highest number of viewers for any show in U.S. history. Unfortunately, several sports, football included, pose a great risk for those who engage in them. New studies are finding that the consequences of multiple concussions are far worse than originally thought. This information is sadly coming too late for some athletes who have died due to their injuries, but that doesn’t mean that their families cannot be compensated for their loss.

The Research

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy is in the process of conducting research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative disease that the researchers are finding to be caused by multiple concussions. This disease affects the part of the brain that controls rage, emotion, breathing and hypersexuality. The research is being performed posthumously so that the brains of deceased football players can be fully examined, and the results are becoming more and more disturbing.

The researchers found CTE in six out of seven of the football players that have experienced untimely deaths. The results may not have been so shocking had it not been for the fact that the disease was also discovered in an eighteen year old victim who was still in his athletic prime at the time of his death. The degenerative disease has been shown to cause anger, depression, fatigue, sleeping disorders and unfortunately, suicide. These untimely deaths are tragic in themselves, but the people left behind are the ones who continue suffering.

Suing after Death

According to www.houston-accidentattorney.com, for any lawsuit to be successful, the plaintiff must show that the defendant caused injury by failing to perform their duties. Many sports leagues, ranging from high school to professional, have ignored the connection between multiple concussions and serious mood and sleeping disorders. This denial continues even though several studies have shown that repeat concussions can cause the brain of a thirty year old to resemble that of an eighty year old, and people are finally starting to notice that the National Football League (NFL) may be trying to undercut the seriousness of these effects in order to keep players on the field.

Over two thousand former NFL players are currently involved in a lawsuit against the NFL for trying to underscore the significance of repeat head injuries. Some of the plaintiffs are also filing on behalf of their family members who suffered these detrimental injuries during their tenure in the league. The football players who died from disorders related to their injuries may not be able to speak for themselves, but their loved ones definitely can. Suing for compensation isn’t an isolated practice that only former NFL players can be a part of. Proving that any organization knowingly put their players in danger and withheld lifesaving information all in the name of the game will likely allow left behind family members to recover compensation for their loss. The mood disorders related to these concussions have led to deaths in high school football, professional football and even the wrestling entertainment organization WWE, so anyone whose loved one died due to factors directly related to their injuries should seek damages.

No one is under the impression that sports like football and professional wrestling are safe by any stretch of the imagination. Athletes know going in that they could experience torn muscles, broken bones and even concussions. Many of these organizations, however, seem to be making light of the link between the deaths of these athletes and their sports injuries. The NFL has gone as far to say that there is no conclusive evidence of the link. When any organization misleads their athletes in an effort to ensure that they can stay on the field, they deserve to be held accountable for their actions.

Anthony Joseph is a sports researcher, and a contributing author for www.houston-accidentattorney.com. When you have the right accident attorney handling your claim, you can receive compensation for a number of different things. You can win the battle with a Houston accident attorney in your corner, so log on today!