A Settlement of a class action lawsuit was reached with the NFL and NFL Properties and retired NFL players, their representatives and family members. The retired NFL players sued, accusing the NFL of not warning players and hiding the damages of brain injury.
On April 22, 2015, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania entered a Final Order and Judgment approving this Settlement. Certain Settlement Class Members who objected to the Settlement appealed that ruling to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
On April 18, 2016, the Third Circuit affirmed the District Court’s order in full.
On April 28, 2016, certain objecting Settlement Class Members filed a Petition for Rehearing En Banc asking the Third Circuit to reconsider the appeal.
On June 1, 2016, the Third Circuit denied the Petition for Rehearing En Banc.
On August 30, 2016, some of these objectors filed a petition for certiorari (a request that an appeal be allowed) to the United States Supreme Court.
The United States Supreme Court denied the petitions for certiorari on December 12, 2016. However, the petitioners have 25 days to request reconsideration.TheSettlement will not become effective until after all possible appeals are resolved in favor of the Settlement or the time to appeal has run out. The date on which the Settlement goes into effect, should that occur, is called the “Effective Date.”
What a mess. I think this will get resolved in favor of the players soon though.
