Stanford University Hit With Concussion Lawsuit

Amid public pressure mounting against the football industry, Stanford joined the growing list of schools hit with concussion-related lawsuits. CBS reports that the Chicago-based firm Edelson PC has sued Stanford, the Pac-12 and the NCAA essentially for negligence in terms of protecting player safety.

The filing contends that the school was essentially negligent in terms of protecting player safety. Per CBS, Dore argues that all three defendant organizations

"knew that football players were in danger of permanent brain injuries but did not protect the players so as to "protect the very profitable business of ‘amateur' college football."

An ex-Cardinal football player (1972-74), David Burns, is listed as the main plaintiff in the case. However, this isn't just for Burns' gain -- it looks to gain benefits in return for the alleged grievances the players on all of Stanford's gridiron teams suffered from 1959 to 2010.

Stanford responded to the filing with an official statement:

"Stanford was surprised to see this lawsuit purporting to be a class action on behalf of football players from 1959 to 2010.  Stanford has always acted in the best interests of its student-athletes and their health and safety has been Stanford's paramount concern. Stanford will vigorously defend this lawsuit."

Stanford wasn't the only school to be hit with a similar lawsuit from this firm --  BYU, Boston College, and UNC Chapel Hill will also face similar litigation.

In recent years, Stanford has been proactive in trying to solve the concussion crisis, establishing the Stanford Concussion and Brain Performance Center in 2014. Dr. Jamshid Ghajar is leading the effort at Stanford, using research and eye-tracking techniques to try to cultivate better knowledge about brain injuries. Stanford professor David Camarillo has also developed a mouthpiece for the team outfitted with accelerometers, intended to detect concussions in real time.

You can read more about the lawsuit here