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10 former players sue NHL over concussions

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From the Associated Press:

Ten former National Hockey League players are claiming in a class-action lawsuit that the league hasn’t done enough to protect players from concussions.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Washington, seeks damages to be determined at trial. The players are also seeking court-approved medical monitoring for their brain trauma and/or injuries, which they blame on their NHL careers.

The ex-hockey players claim that the NHL purposely concealed the risks of brain injuries faced by players, exposing them to unnecessary dangers.

Today’s lawsuit comes mere months after the NFL settled a lawsuit brought by thousands of former players over brain injuries suffered during their playing careers. That settlement was worth $765 million.

Per ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, the 10 former players are Gary Leeman, Brad Aitken, Darren Banks, Curt Bennett, Richard Dunn, Warren Holmes, Bob Manno, Blair Stewart, Morris Titanic and Rick Vaive.

For a PDF of the complaint, click here.

“The NHL has been aware of and understood the significance of the published medical literature dating from as early as the 1920s that there is a serious risk of short-term and long-term brain injury associated with repetitive traumatic impacts to the head to which NHL players are exposed,” reads part of the complaint.

“During that time, the NHL knowingly and fraudulently concealed from then-current NHL players and former NHL players the risks of head injuries in NHL games and practices, including but not limited to the risks associated with returning to physical activity too soon after sustaining a sub-concussive or concussive injury.”

The NHL has taken issue with the notion that the dangers of concussions have been ignored by the league.

“We have, on our own, a long history, going back to 1997, of taking concussions very seriously,” commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We spend a lot of time, money and effort working with the players’ association on player safety.”