The NFL faces another lawsuit as players allege they were supplied with powerful painkillers and other drugs that led to serious problems later in life.

A group of retired NFL players have filed a lawsuit against the NFL, alleging the league supplied them with painkillers and other drugs in order to keep them on the field despite injuries. In some cases, the players developed addictions to the drugs, while others developed more severe injuries when they played while hurt.

No Prescription

According to the lawsuit, the players were given narcotic painkillers such as Percodan, Percocet and Vicodin, as well as sleep aids like Ambien and anti-inflammatory drugs like Toradol. The players claim that none of them had prescriptions for such powerful drugs, and some of them developed heart, lung and nerve ailments as well as kidney failure. Some claim that they also developed chronic injuries to muscles, bones and ligaments.

Concussion Lawsuit

This lawsuit comes less than a year after the NFL agreed to settle suits from thousands of retired players who claimed the league ignored the risks of concussion, which led many players to develop dementia and other mental impairments. The new lawsuit named eight players as plaintiffs, including high profile players such as Jim McMahon, Richard Dent and Keith Van Horne. More than 500 other players have also joined the suit.

Severe Injuries

According to the lawsuit, McMahon suffered a broken neck and ankle, but was given painkillers and sent out on the field. McMahon claims he went uninformed of his injuries and developed an addiction to painkillers, taking more than 100 Percocet per month at one point, even during the off-season. Van Horne said that he played on a broken leg for an entire season and was not told about the injury for five years. Jeremy Newberry, a former defensive lineman who retired in 2009, claims that he developed kidney failure, high blood pressure and severe headaches as the result of Toradol injections he received before almost every game. He said that the drug numbed the pain instantaneously and, despite the fact that he could barely walk into the locker room before the injection, he could literally sprint out onto the field at game time after injecting the drug. After retiring, a doctor told Newberry that his medical records showed elevated protein levels in his blood, indicating kidney problems. Newberry said that the records indicated that he had suffered from the problem for years, but that team doctors cleared him to play without ever telling him of the elevated levels.

When the negligence of a healthcare provider creates medical issues that could be debilitating or cause death, a lawsuit may be in order.  Contact Dallas-Fort Worth lawyers at Frenkel & Frenkel to schedule a free initial consultation regarding negligence by a medical provider. For more information on Frenkel and Frenkel, please visit our website at www.FrenkelFirm.com


Back to Blog
Contact us media
Accessibility: If you are vision-impaired or have some other impairment covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act or a similar law, and you wish to discuss potential accommodations related to using this website, please contact our Accessibility Manager at 214.333.3333.
Contact Us