2 former players sue NCAA over concussion rules
CHICAGO (AP)—Two more former college football players have sued the NCAA,
saying it failed to protect them from concussions.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Illinois and it seeks class-action status. The plaintiffs are former
Central Arkansas wide receiver Derek Owens and former Northwestern offensive
lineman Alex Rucks. Both claim they have suffered preventable brain trauma.
Attorneys for the players say the NCAA failed to establish a head injury
screening system and hasn’t enforced safety measures introduced in the 1970s.
The lawsuit seeks to have the NCAA institute a medical monitoring program.
The NCAA called the lawsuit “merely a copycat” of a lawsuit filed earlier
this month by former Eastern Illinois player Adrian Arrington seeking
class-action status. The NCAA says Wednesday’s lawsuit “contains gross
misstatements” and plaintiff’s attorneys “have a fundamental
misunderstanding” of the NCAA.
The NCAA says it has addressed head injuries “through a combination of
playing rules, equipment requirements, and medical best practices.”
Online:
NCAA: http://www.ncaa.org/concussions