The NFL agreed to a $765 million settlement with the 18,000 retired players who sued over concussion-related brain injuries, pending approval of a U.S. District judge. Part of the agreement stipulates the settlement "cannot be considered an admission by the NFL of liability, or an admission that plaintiffs' injuries were caused by football," ESPN reports.
ESPN described the specifics of the tentative settlement:
"According to the settlement, $675 million of the $765 million would be used to compensate former players and families of deceased players who have suffered cognitive injury, including the families of players who committed suicide after suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
"Other money will be used for baseline medical exams, the cost of which will be capped at $75 million. The NFL also will fund research and education at a cost of $10 million. Individual awards would be capped at $5 million for men who have or develop ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease or another severe cognitive impairment; $4 million for those diagnosed with CTE after their deaths; and $3 million for players with dementia."
An independent panel will determine the benefits per individual case.
After months of court-ordered mediation, the settlement was announced Thursday by a federal judge. The settlement now must be approved by Senior U.S. District Judge Anita Brody to go into effect, according to the Associated Press.
The program is designed to cover NFL players for the next 60 years. The league must pay half of the total settlement within the first three years and the rest over the next 17 years. The NFL would also cover legal costs.
Concussions have been a major point of concern for the NFL in recent years. The league has put an emphasis on player safety and continues to examine its rules to better protect players from head injuries.
