"A South Carolina jury has decided the NCAA owes a former college football player and his wife $18m, while finding college sports' major governing body negligent in failing to warn the player about the long-term effects of concussions. Following a civil trial that wrapped up late last week, Orangeburg county jurors awarded $10m to 68-year-old Robert Geathers, who played at South Carolina State University from 1977 to 1980 as a defensive end."
"A physician diagnosed Robert Geathers with dementia several years ago, The Times and Democrat newspaper in Orangeburg reported. Geathers now has trouble with day-to-day tasks such as dressing himself and helping making meals. Other physicians who testified at the trial said Geathers displays symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease found in former football players who received repeated blows to their heads while playing. CTE can be diagnosed only posthumously."
A South Carolina jury awarded $10 million to 68-year-old Robert Geathers and $8 million to his wife Debra after finding the NCAA negligent for failing to warn about long-term concussion effects. Geathers played defensive end at South Carolina State University from 1977 to 1980. Physicians diagnosed him with dementia and noted symptoms consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which can only be confirmed posthumously. Attorneys argued repeated head trauma from practices and games caused delayed neurological decline and that the NCAA knew about concussion risks since the 1930s but withheld information from coaches and players. The NCAA said it disagreed and plans to pursue post-trial motions and appeal.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]