NFL Concussion Cases may be Targets for Fraudsters

Unscrupulous lenders and advisors may be targeting almost 1,000 NFL ex-players to take an unfair share of their settlements and awards, according to the New York Times. Lawyers for the former professional football players say that hundreds of their clients may have been swindled by people looking for a cut of the payments.

In the last few months, players have also signed contracts with law firms and so-called claims service providers that promise to help players file settlement claims in return for 10 or 15 percent of any cash awards. Some of these firms work with the lenders as well as brokers, who receive fees for referring players.

“We don’t want to watch these awards be cannibalized,” Seeger told Judge Anita B. Brody of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, who is overseeing the settlement. Judge Brody had called the hearing in response to news reports, including those in The New York Times, of what she called “purportedly deceptive or misleading solicitations” of former players.