PHILADELPHIA – Lawyers appealing the NFL’s $1 billion plan to address concussion-linked injuries in former players say the settlement excludes the central brain injury linked to football.
Lawyer Steven Molo asked a U.S. appeals court in Philadelphia to reject the settlement because it excludes future payments for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the brain decay found in dozens of deceased ex-players.
The challengers also argue Thursday that the plan would compensate only a few neurological conditions but not the depression and mood disorders that some experts link to earlier concussions.
Lawyers who negotiated the settlement with the NFL say the deal is an insurance plan for serious brain injuries and is not meant to address every problem tied to football.