Former NFL players sue league over concussion-related injuries

PHILADELPHIA—Eight former National Football League players this week filed a class action lawsuit against the league over concussion-related injuries.

The suit, reportedly the first of its kind to seek class action status, alleges that physical and financial losses suffered by the former football players resulted from the NFL’s “carelessness, negligence, intentional misconduct, and concealment of information directly related to each plaintiff’s injuries and losses,” according to the suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

The players accuse the league of negligence and misconduct due to improper training of tackling methods—leading with the helmet—and its response to players’ complaints of headaches, dizziness and dementia, according to court documents.

The suit also alleges that the NFL tried to conceal any correlation between the sport and brain injuries.

The complaint comes on the heels of a July lawsuit filed against the league in Los Angles over brain injuries on behalf of 75 former NFL players.

The federal suit in Philadelphia could potentially include anyone who played in the NFL and suffered head injuries.

In the complaint, players seek medical monitoring, compensation and financial recovery for chronic injuries, financial losses and compensation for the spouses of the players.