475 ex-athletes seek to combine concussion lawsuit against 3 major sports organisations

A plea to combine claims from hundreds of former sportspeople suffering from neurological impairments into a group action lawsuit against the governing bodies of their sports will be heard at the High Court in London this week.

The plea, which is due to take place on Friday, will seek a Group Litigation Order (GLO) for 475 rugby players and 25 soccer players against British governing bodies in Rugby Union, Rugby League and football.

According to Reuters, the players allege the governing bodies failed in their duty of care, which exposed them to concussion and non-concussion injuries leading to disorders such as motor neurone disease, early onset dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. A source has reportedly told Reuters that the cases involve 268 rugby union claimants.

Law firm Ryland’s Garth said:

“We are seeing the same worrying symptoms in numerous cases across all three contact sports,”

“These symptoms include chronic depression, aggression, significant memory loss, incontinence, drug and alcohol addiction and in some cases, suicide attempts.”

World Rugby, England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) said in a joint statement on Tuesday that they were saddened to hear about the struggles of former players:

“Despite court orders to do so, the players’ lawyers have yet to provide full details of the claims being made against us and therefore we cannot comment on the ongoing legal action, nor reach out to the players directly,” the governing bodies added.

“We would want players involved to know that we listen, we care and continue to champion player welfare as the sport’s number one priority.

“Players and parents can have confidence that rugby is as safe as a contact sport can be. Rugby will always be led by the latest science when taking any action on player welfare.”

Formal proceedings in the case were opened at the High Court in London on June 23. On Friday, the court will hear a plea for a group action lawsuit for sportspeople suffering from neurological impairments.

World Rugby has already taken several steps to mitigate the impact of concussion including introducing smart mouthguard technology for head impact assessment and starting trials to lower tackle height in community rugby.

“The whole of rugby cares deeply about all of our current and former players. We will never stand still when it comes to player welfare,” the governing bodies added.

What is a Group Litigation Order?

GLOs are often associated with industrial disease claims such as asbestos or respiratory problems for coal miners. They are used to group together claims that are linked or of similar nature to make the legal process simpler. GLO’s also ensure claimants who have experienced similar legal issues, receive consistent outcomes.

A GLO also means that the court process can be more streamlined as it can stop the court and defendant (s) from people flooded with separate claim forms for each claimant. Instead, one form can be used for all claimants on a register. However, every claim will still be treated individually.

Once the GLO has been granted, it is common for the judge who manages the case to be the same judge who hears the case at trial. This provides a level of consistency and understanding throughout the life of the litigation.

Related reading

Football, sports and Dementia: what is the link? – Oakwood Solicitors

WHAT TO DO NEXT

Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page, or call us on 0113 200 9720 to find out how we can help you.