New Orleans Saints BountyI just returned from a yearly meeting of about 50 workers’ compensation lawyers who are approved by the National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA) to represent NFL players in the workers’ compensation field.  My firm helps the Carolina Panthers players if they need advice or legal representation in a claim, which are rarely made, but are sometimes filed if there is an injury that ends a professional career.

What would you think about an employer who paid its employees to intentionally injure you? Accidents happen and no one wants those in the workplace, but a deliberate injury is another mattter. That happened with the New Orleans Saints. Coaches paid athletes to intentionally hurt others and knock them out of games. Stiff sanctions have been imposed by the NFL and there will be more fallout from this action by the Saints.

On April 14 The New York Times reported that many professional athletes have been given shots of Toradol, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is given in emergency rooms to relieve pain. It numbs the affected area and allows the player to play and ignore the warning signs (pain and inflammation) of injury. A lawsuit has been filed claiming the NFL knew or should have known that the indiscriminate use of Toradol could cause further injury, and the NFL  has denied the claims. Stay tuned for a follow up article on these allegations.