Pro Football Hall of Fame Running Back Leroy Kelly and Nine Former Philadelphia Eagles Join Locks Law Firm Brain Injury Suit Against NFL

Locks Law Firm attorneys Gene Locks, Michael Leh and David Langfitt today filed two additional lawsuits in Philadelphia against the NFL on behalf of 50 former NFL players. The first suit includes eight former players and five spouses, and the second suit includes 42 former players and 23 spouses. The named players include Leroy Kelly, a Hall of Fame running back, and former Philadelphia Eagles Britt Hager and Keith Byars.

The suit charges that the NFL and other defendants intentionally and fraudulently misrepresented and/or concealed medical evidence about the short and long-term risks regarding repetitive traumatic brain injury and concussions and failed to warn players that they risked permanent brain damage if they returned to play too soon after sustaining a concussion.

The following players have sustained repetitive traumatic impacts to his head on multiple occasions and now suffer from neurological conditions and symptoms:

Leroy Kelly, 69, played in the NFL for 10 seasons, from 1964 through 1973, as a running back for the Cleveland Browns. Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

Britt Hager, 45, is a former NFL linebacker who played nine seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and the St. Louis Rams.

Keith Byars, 48, is a former NFL running back, full back and tight end who played from 1986 through 1998. During his career, this All-Pro player was a part of the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and the New York Jets.

Brian Baldinger, 53, is a former NFL offensive lineman that played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts during his career in the NFL from 1982 through 1994.

Douglas C. Skene, 41, is a former NFL guard that played from 1993 through 1995 for the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots.

Mike Schad, 48, is a former NFL offensive lineman that played from 1986 through 1995 for the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams and the Cleveland Browns.

Michael Pitts, 51, is a former NFL defensive tackle that played from 1987 through 1992 for the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots.

Brad Quast, 43, is a former NFL linebacker that played at various times between 1990 and 1993 for the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets.

Ron Porter, 66, is a former NFL linebacker that played from 1967 through 1973 for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings.

Daniel Stubbs, 47, is a former NFL defensive end that played from 1988 through 1999 for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Dallas Cowboys.

“The NFL knew about the debilitating and permanent effects of head injuries and concussions that regularly occur among professional players, yet ignored and actively concealed the risks,” said Locks. “And these players’ problems don’t just impact themselves -- they affect their wives, their children and their families as well as their ability to earn a living because many are nowhere close to being able to retire.”

The suit filed by Locks Law attorneys Gene Locks, Michael Leh and David Langfitt charges that the NFL voluntarily joined the scientific research as well as public and private discussions regarding the relationship between concussions and brain impairment when it created the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) Committee in 1994. Rather than naming a noted neurologist to chair this committee, it appointed Dr. Elliott Pellman, a rheumatologist who was a paid physician and trainer for the New York Jets, a conflict of interest, and had training in the treatment of joints and muscles, not head injuries. While the committee was established with the stated purpose of researching and lessening the impact of concussions on NFL players, it failed to inform them of the true risks associated with head trauma.

“This suit is about what’s fair. The NFL needs to have these veteran players tested, and provide treatment and compensation to these heroes for the brain damage they sustained during their professional careers,” said Locks.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. It seeks medical monitoring, compensation, and financial recovery for the short-term, long-term, and chronic injuries, financial and intangible losses, and expenses for the individual former and present NFL players and their spouses.

Locks Law Firm (http://www.lockslaw.com) also plans to file additional suits on behalf of other NFL players in the coming weeks.

Note to Media: The attorneys from Locks Law Firm are available to comment on these cases and provide pre-game commentary.

About Locks Law Firm:

With a litigation team of 23 personal injury attorneys and nearly 100 outstanding legal professionals and auxiliary staff members, Locks Law Firm serves plaintiffs and is dedicated to victims of corporate neglect and malfeasance. The firm, with offices in Philadelphia, New York, Cherry Hill, NJ, and Englewood Cliffs, NJ,is known for groundbreaking verdicts and settlements in mesothelioma, asbestos, pharmaceutical, mass tort, personal injury, and product liability cases. For more information, please visit LocksLaw.com.

Locks Law Firm
Lana Weinstein, 609-682-4158
lweinstein@stargroup1.com
or
Michael Cavacini, 267-847-3771
mcavacini@stargroup1.com