NCAA and MIAA Facing Class Action Lawsuits Over Handling of Concussions
Zack Langston was a Pittsburg State College football player who committed suicide in 2014. His family is now filing a class action lawsuit against the NCAA for its mishandling of concussions suffered by players. Zack suffered over one hundred concussions, which are attributed to causing his death. The concussions caused him to suffer memory loss, depression and paranoia. The lawsuit also accuses the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics
Zack’s brain was examined by the Boston University’s Center for Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy after his death and was found to have the same level of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a type of brain damage, as Junior Seau, an NFL player who also committed suicide.
According to the lawsuit, the NCAA and the MIAA both knew about the potential brain damage that can occur as a result of multiple concussions but failed to do anything to protect their players or change their rules and regulations. According to the lawsuit, both organizations recklessly ignored the dangers in order to protect the profitable business of amateur college football.
The class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court in Kansas City, Kansas. It seeks unspecified punitive and compensatory damages for the past, present and future medical expenses; lost time, interest and future earnings; and other damages without limitation.
The NCAA is facing at least 43 other class action lawsuits relating to its handling of concussions. One case led to a federal judge giving preliminary approval for a $75 million settlement.
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