3 Results of the NCAA Brain Injury Settlement
Our knowledge about the dangers of repeat traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)—especially among athletes—has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. This has led some of the leading bodies of today’s largest sports organizations to take action to better protect athletes from TBIs.
One of those major changes came when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced a settlement with a group of athletes who had brought suit against the organization. The athletes claimed the NCAA had failed to protect athletes from repeat TBIs.
An article from WOWKTV 13 News stated 10 athletes claimed they had suffered long-term health effects brought on by repeat TBIs suffered on the field. They claimed trainers didn’t take enough precautions before sending them back onto the field. In fact, data indicates more than half of all NCAA trainers were found to engage in the illegal practice, putting players’ health at risk.
As part of the settlement:
- $75 million will be allocated to monitoring injured players’ health and researching TBIs.
- The NCAA will create a blanket policy for returning to the field players who have suffered a suspected TBI.
- Athletes can sue individually for damages related to their injuries.
At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk personal injury attorneys are aware of how a TBI can affect a victim for their rest of their life and are hopeful the new policy will be effective in better protecting college athletes from TBIs.
