Over 4,000 retired players are suing the NFL for failing to protect them from the risks of chronic head injuries. Both sides appeared before District Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia this week.
Brody could throw out the entire case, or let parts of it proceed, though appeals are likely to slow the pace. Even without appeals, the discovery process could take years. The judge could also ask the plaintiffs to pick several cases to be tried as tests.
In the fast-moving, 45-minute hearing, Brody gave no strong hint how she would rule, although she repeatedly prodded Paul Clement, the N.F.L.’s lawyer, to provide specific reasons the league’s motion should be granted.
At one point Clement admitted that the league’s argument that player safety was governed by labor contracts would be harder to make for players who never signed a collective bargaining agreement.
Original source: The New York Times
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