I was listening to a report this morning about how former NFL players are trying to bring a class action against the NFL and its teams as a result of head injuries they suffered while playing pro ball. The key allegation is that the NFL and its teams hid the information that football players were suffering head injuries that could cause permanent problems. We are supposed to believe that the players just did not know this. Really?
How in the world could anyone who played football for years or even watched it occasionally on TV not know that there was a serious chance of injury to the players. Did the players really think that getting hit over and over again for years upon years would take no toll on their bodies? Hitting a keyboard causes carpal tunnel syndrome, but having a 300 pound giant slam into you at full force fifty times in one afternoon was to have no effect? I know the stereotype of pro players is that of a dumb jock, but this is ridiculous. They actually needed to be warned that constant hitting and tackling could hurt them? Really? The lawsuit is a joke.
There is a doctrine in the law called "assumption of risk". It says that if a person intentionally undertakes a risky activity and then gets injured, no one else is to blame. In other words, if you knowingly take a risk, then you must also be responsible for the consequences. No pro football player could possibly have missed the danger of the game.
Of course, if the lawyers actually manage to get a court to uphold this suit, I have a great idea for their next target. They should bring a class action on behalf of everyone ever injured in a car accident. After all, there should be a big sign on the front of every car that reads "GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!--DANGER!!" How else would people know that cars and trucks can cause injuries?
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