NCAA reaches $75 million settlement in concussion lawsuit
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The NCAA has created a new protocol to handle concussed athletes and will spend millions to monitor the health of athletes who might have suffered concussions while playing college sports, according to a settlement filed in federal court this morning.
The $75 million settlement caps litigation that began when a dozen college athletes -- including former Eastern Illinois University defensive back Adrian Arrington -- accused the NCAA of putting their health at risk by leaving concussion policies up to individual schools.
Under the agreement, NCAA schools will have to follow certain procedures. Players will not be allowed to return to action the same day they receive a concussion. All players, coaches and trainers will receive concussion education. And doctors trained in concussion diagnosis will have to be present for all games played in contact sports such as football, soccer and basketball.
The medical monitoring fund will allow any athlete who played NCAA sports to get a free evaluation of possible concussion-related symptoms, ranging from motor problems to cognitive issues.
Ex-players will first have to fill out a survey to see if they qualify for the evaluation. The evaluation results will be forwarded to their doctors, but the settlement does not call for the NCAA to pay the medical costs of any athlete deemed to have concussion-related problems.
The NCAA will also contribute $5 million toward concussion-related research, according to the settlement.
Chicago attorney Joseph Siprut, who represents Arrington, said the parties are scheduled to present the settlement to federal judge John Lee at 2 p.m. today.
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