Sports Injuries Masked By Drug Use

Is it possible to sue a former employer for allegedly encouraging the usage of painkillers?

It appears so.  More than 500 former professional athletes recently filed a lawsuit accusing the National Football League of illegally encouraging players to take risky narcotics—all in the name of masking serious personal sports injuries.

The NFL was accused of obtaining the drugs illegally, as well as misleading players about the side effects and addiction dangers of the drug usage.  The drugs, the players alleged, were often used to numb the pain, allowing injured players to return to the field, and in turn, generate the highest possible profits for the NFL.  This led to aggravation of the injuries, as well as the creation of long-term health problems for those suffering.  A number of players went as far as to claim they weren’t even made aware of the severity of their own injuries by team trainers.

The DEA Steps In

Following the recent allegations, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating the NFL and its lockers rooms, seeking to discover how the league’s doctors and trainers got access to such powerful narcotics.  If the NFL is found guilty of the alleged practices, it will once again be forced to shell out some serious monetary damages.  The suit also seeks an injunction creating a testing and monitoring program.

This isn’t the first time a major sports league has received media attention over painkiller misuse.  Following the death of New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard in 2011 (as a result of a battle with addiction to painkillers prescribed by team doctors), the National Hockey League was scrutinized for what many referred to as its “painkiller problem.”  After his death, Boogaard’s family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit, alleging that the league was responsible for supplying him with excessive amounts of painkillers over the course of six seasons.

This particular suit comes on the heels of a previous class action suit, in which the NFL agreed to pay over $900 million in damages for concealing a number of long-term health hazards related to concussions.

As a sports & entertainment attorney, I have written extensively about the NFL lawsuits in regards to player concussions. See my previous posts on the matter here:

• Breaking Down the NFL’s Growing Concussions Lawsuit
• Concussions a Major Issue in Football
• NFL Facing Attacks On All Fronts Over Concussions

We all know that steroid and drug use has been running rampant in the sports world for a number of years. Here are a few of my previous posts on the legal aspects of this current issue:

• Dolphins Locker Room Situation May Cause Legal Troubles
• Adidas Suspends Contract with Sprinter Tyson Gay Over Failed Drug Test