Brain Injury Advocates Seek to Enter NFL Settlement Fray
Vienna, VA (PRWEB) December 18, 2013 -- Today, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) announced it has filed a motion in the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to participate as amicus curiae (friend of the court) on the proposed settlement between the National Football League (NFL) and former players (Case 2:12-md-02323-AB).
BIAA, which was founded in 1980, is the nation’s oldest and largest brain injury advocacy organization. Its mission is to advance the causes of brain injury prevention, research, treatment, and education, and to improve the quality of life for all individuals affected by brain injury.
The motion was filed because the outcome of the proposed NFL settlement is likely to have an impact on similar lawsuits brought on behalf of other classes of brain injury victims as well as future prevention, research, and treatment of the injury. If the motion is granted, BIAA will review the proposed settlement (once it is received by the court) and comment on its fairness.
Based on information that is publicly available, the proposed settlement will include funding for research and education on brain injury. As the voice of brain injury, BIAA has an interest in ensuring that these funds are directed toward projects with the greatest scientific promise and highest benefit for current and future players and the public. BIAA’s understanding of the progressive nature of brain injury can help the court evaluate questions of neuroscience and public health that the parties might not have sufficient expertise – or incentive – to bring to the court’s attention.
The settlement also provides for an injury compensation fund for eligible retired players who manifest severe cognitive impairment within 10 years of the date of the proposed settlement. BIAA and its team of experts are uniquely qualified to help the court evaluate questions of fairness with respect to eligibility parameters and compensation levels by analyzing how proposed determinations relate to the progressive disease processes that are caused and/or accelerated by brain injury.
The resolution of this complicated case is of great interest to the public and to BIAA’s constituents. After decades of work in the field, BIAA is uniquely capable of assisting the court’s evaluation of the public-interest consequences of the proposed settlement.
A copy of the motion can be found at http://www.biausa.org/NFLamicus.
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The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is the country’s oldest and largest nationwide brain injury advocacy organization. Our mission is to advance brain injury prevention, research, treatment, and education, and to improve the quality of life for all individuals impacted by brain injury. Through advocacy, we bring help, hope, and healing to millions of individuals living with brain injury, their families and the professionals who serve them.
Rob Traister, Brain Injury Association of America, +1 (703) 761-0750 Ext: 628, [email protected]
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