(Reuters) – Ten retired National Football League Players (NFL) have sued the league’s benefits plan, board of trustees and Commissioner Roger Goodell as part of a class action lawsuit filed in federal court on Thursday.
The complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for Maryland, accuses the defendants of a “disturbing pattern of erroneous and arbitrary benefits denials, bad faith contract misinterpretations, and other unscrupulous tactics” as a way to wrongfully deny disability claims.
The lawsuit also says neutral doctors hired by the plan to evaluate players’ injuries were given additional cases if they denied more claims, with the goal of limiting benefit payments to the very players for whom the plan was designed.
Both the NFL and NFL Players Association did not immediately respond when asked to comment on the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs include two-times Pro Bowl running back Willis McGahee and Eric Smith, a former safety who played seven seasons in the NFL and, according to the lawsuit, suffered 13 documented traumatic brain injuries.
“Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the NFL’s betrayal of its players once we are no longer on the field and making them money,” said Smith.
“Through this lawsuit, we are bringing these injustices to light and demanding the NFL fulfill its responsibilities to players rather than continue to try to dodge accountability every step of the way.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
