NCAA ordered to pay $18 million to Robert Geathers, former Bulldogs and Bengals NFL player, and his wife in concussion lawsuit
A concussion lawsuit has ended with the NCAA being told to pay a huge sum of money to Robert Geathers and his wife, Debra.
A jury in Orangeburg County, South Carolina has found the NCAA liable for damages and ordered it to pay $18 million to former college football player Robert Geathers and his wife, Debra Geathers.
The 68-year-old played defensive end at South Carolina State University from 1977-1980; he was awarded $10 million and Debra $8 million.
In recent years, Geathers has been diagnosed with dementia, and medical experts called at trial concluded he exhibits symptoms consistent with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive brain disease linked to repeated head trauma.
The couple’s legal team argued that Geathers’ lasting brain injuries stemmed from blows he endured during his college football career. They claimed the NCAA knew about the long-term risks of concussions decades ago but failed to meaningfully warn players or mandate protective protocols.
“All of the information they knew, they withheld,” Geathers attorney Bakari Sellers said according to local reports, adding that “their job was to keep the boys safe.”
NCAA trial attorney Andy Fletcher took the approach of inevitability, closing out his case by making clear that: “There’s going to be head-hits. That’s inherent to the game. You can’t take head-hits out of football.”
The jury agreed, finding that the NCAA “unreasonably increased the risk of harm” to Geathers beyond the inherent risks of playing football, and that it “voluntarily assumed duties” to protect him yet breached them.
In response, the NCAA issued a defensive statement saying it disagrees with the verdict and plans to pursue post-trial motions and appeal if necessary:
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“The NCAA has prevailed in every other jury trial around the country on these issues,” it said, adding that the South Carolina State team standards “followed the knowledge that existed at the time, and college football did not cause Mr. Geathers’ lifelong health problems.”
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