Do You Qualify for the NCAA Concussion Class Action Settlement?

Did you play an NCAA college sport? Do you suffer from Post-Concussion Syndrome? If so, the January 26, 2015 NCAA nation-wide class action settlement may right be for you.

In a landmark lawsuit, plaintiff Adrian Arrington sued the NCAA on behalf of 4.4 million current and former college athletes. Arrington claimed that due to insufficient concussion protocols, players were returned to the game prematurely following head injuries, causing further damage to these players’ brains. Return-to-play guideline were either insufficient, or non-existent!

Athletes in 43 different sports are eligible for medical monitoring and evaluation pursuant to the settlement. Both men and women are eligible. Sports can either be contact or non-contact. Cheerleading is considered a sport for the purposes of the concussion settlement. In fact, cheerleading statistically has the highest rate per capita of catastrophic brain injuries of any college sport.

In the settlement, the NCAA has agreed to fund a Medical Monitoring Fund (MMF) to pay for screenings and evaluations of head injuries for the next fifty (50) years. Screenings will test for persistent post-concussion syndrome, along with other risk factors, such as changes in mood, behavior, cognitive skills and motor function.

It is important to remember that the Settlement Agreement with the NCAA expressly preserves individual personal injury actions for damages. In other words, you don’t have participate in the class settlement. Whether you should is a decision you can only make after serious discussions with your own lawyer.

Zukerberg & Halperin, PLLC is a personal injury law firm in Richmond and Washington, DC, with 50+ years of experience
representing head injury victims. If you or a loved one is suffering from post-concussion syndrome, or would like more  information regarding the NCAA class action settlement, then contact our offices today.