ATLANTA, Nov. 20, 2014 – On November 19, 2014, more than three years after the first lawsuit was filed against the NFL, a Fairness Hearing took place to determine whether the proposed Settlement should be approved. The Hearing was held before Eastern District of Pennsylvania Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia, PA. Pope McGlamry has played an integral role in the litigation, with partner Mike McGlamry serving on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, the Communications Committee, and acting as Co-Lead Counsel of the Discovery Committee. Mr. McGlamry attended the Hearing in Philadelphia in support of the proposed Settlement and as a representative of the nearly 500 Retired NFL Players and their families that Pope McGlamry represents.
Evolution of the Proposed Settlement
In August, 2013, the NFL announced that it would agree to pay $765 million to settle the lawsuit with the Retired NFL Players. In January 2014, initial terms for the proposed Settlement were announced, but Judge Brody withheld preliminary approval, citing concern regarding the proposed amount and the desire to see the data used by the parties in negotiations. On June 25, 2014 a modified proposed Settlement was filed with the court. Judge Brody granted preliminary approval and November 19 was set as the date for the Fairness Hearing to take place.
Hearing and Presentations
The Hearing lasted approximately five and a half hours, and started with presentations by Chris Seeger for the Players, Brad Karp for the NFL, followed by attorneys for the Objectors. Several Retired NFL Players and family members of Players also addressed the Court. At the end, several lawyers for the Plaintiffs and several lawyers for the NFL presented rebuttals to the objections raised by the Objectors’ counsel and the Retired NFL Players and their families.
A majority of the 20,000 Retired NFL Players involved in the proposed class-action Settlement back the deal, which provides compensatory awards up to $5 million to players suffering from the most serious neurocognitive disorders. Counsel for the Retired NFL Players did a very good job of outlining the proposed Settlement and addressing the objections raised. Judge Brody took all arguments under advisement and did not make any rulings at the Hearing. Pope McGlamry believes that the Hearing went very well and the hope is that Judge Brody will rule before the end of the year.
For continued up-to-date information and news regarding the NFL Settlement, like the Pope McGlamry page on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @PopeMcGlamry, or visit our website at www.popemcglamry.com. If you or a loved one are a Retired NFL Player, or have questions regarding the NFL Concussion Litigation and Settlement, contact Pope McGlamry at 877-285-7656 or submit a case evaluation online at www.popemcglamry.com to schedule a complimentary legal consultation.
