CTE, Concussions, And Proving A Disability Claim

n a clip from FRONTLINE’s League of Denial, neuropathologist Dr. Ann McKee discusses the brain of Penn football player Owen Thomas, who took his own life at age 21. After Thomas’s death, Dr. McKee studied Mr. Thomas’s brain and was shocked to find evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.

Owen Thomas, at 21 years old, unexpectedly decided to take his own life by hanging himself at his off-campus apartment. Up to that point, he had never been diagnosed with a concussion or any other mental health or brain related problem. Despite this fact, Dr. McKee found in Owen’s brain a very advanced case of CTE; notably odd for a person his age. The autopsy findings suggest that, since a very young age, Mr. Thomas received many hits while playing football, likely enduring numerous sub-concussive collisions that are an inherent part of the game. After examining Owen Thomas’s brain and the brains of other football players ultimately diagnosed with CTE, Dr. McKee concluded that numerous sub-concussive hits through the years can cause permanent or cumulative brain injury. You can learn more about Owen Thomas’s story and CTE by clicking here: https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-cte-21-year-old/

The effect of CTE in football players has become more prevalent over the past few years. Numerous studies have confirmed that the involvement in high impact sports, specifically football, can lead to severe and permanent injuries. The NFL, which promises its players disability benefits should they become totally and permanently injured, is notorious for ignoring the facts and denying disability benefits to its players. At Disability Insurance Law Group, we have helped athletes, including NFL football players, successfully procure the disability benefits to which they are entitled. We are well-versed in the tactics employed by insurance carriers and their third party administrators to delay and/or deny benefits and have helped our clients get on claim quickly, overturn a denial and successfully sue their insurance company.

If you have any questions about a current or potential disability claim, please contact us at 954-989-9000 for a free consultation. We handle cases all over the nation.