Roughly 5,000 current and former professional football players have sued the NFL based on claims that they were not properly warned about the consequences of repeated head injuries. Now, the widow of a former San Diego Chargers player is suing the organization, claiming that her husband’s suicide was a result of head trauma he suffered while in the NFL.
According to an article featured by Bloomberg, Chelsea Oliver filed suit on Sept. 23 in Los Angeles Superior Court. Her late husband, former Chargers defensive back Paul Oliver, shot himself in front of the plaintiff and her children at their Georgia home in 2013. In her complaint, Mrs. Oliver claims that brain injuries not diagnosed in her husband until after his tragic death and suffered while playing for the NFL contributed to his death.*
“At the time of his death, decedent Paul Oliver was suffering from then, still undiagnosed, severe and debilitating brain injuries including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy as a result of the repetitive head trauma and concussions he suffered while playing professional football for the San Diego Chargers and the New Orleans Saints from 2007 through the 2011-2012 season,” states her complaint. In this complaint, Mrs. Oliver goes on to state that “Paul Oliver’s decision-making…was materially impacted, to his detriment, by (the NFL’s) misconduct.”
In NFL head injury lawsuits, many plaintiffs’ claim the NFL has supported a culture which encourages players to return to the field as soon as possible after an injury such as a concussion or other brain trauma. Many current and former players are being found to suffer from permanent and debilitating brain damage, including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, after repeated head injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy can lead to severe mood and behavioral disturbances as well as other side effects.
In her lawsuit, Mrs. Oliver is seeking unspecified damages for herself and for her children. For more information on plaintiffs’ rights and possible compensation from NFL or sports head injury lawsuits, contact the personal injury lawyers of Flood Law Group LLP. We are currently investigating potential head injury lawsuits on behalf of former NFL and NCAA players and their families.
