Legal Radar

Possible Litigation: Ex-NFL Players Claiming Team Illegally Allowed Meds and Painkillers

Several ex-NFL players, who are representing themselves, are filing a lawsuit against the NFL, and are seeking class action for hundreds of players, claiming the NFL forced painkillers and other non-prescribed meds without warning.

In a litigation filed in the San Francisco U.S. District Court, it alleges the league to have given drugs illegally to get the players back in the field and make the most of their earnings. Players say they weren’t informed of their true injuries and were instead administered non-prescription painkillers to hide the pain. The players said that due to such actions, a majority of them ended their career with addiction to painkillers.

The litigation seeks to have the league fund and create a strictly monitored program to curb drug addiction, including financial damages.

The lawsuit comes right behind a head injury case, which came to a $765 million settlement, though the deal has yet to be finalized.

Donald Sterling Refusing to Pay NBA Fine, Looking to Litigate

NBA owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling, was said to have hired a known antitrust lawyer, Maxwell Blecher, who wrote a letter to the NBA general counsel regarding the denial of any false actions and shooting down the league fine. This was based on a leaked racist comment made by the owner.

It was reported that Sterling is set to team up with Blecher to avoid being penalized by the NBA. The billionaire tycoon was recently slammed a $2.5 million fine and demanded to sell the Clippers. This was after his leaked rants made its way to the media.

Multiple sources said that Blecher filed a letter on behalf of Sterling to the NBA executive VP and general counsel Rick Buchanan. The denial of any wrongdoings, according to the letter, say that any punishment shouldn’t be warranted and warning of the controversy that will dealt with --- an indication of a long legal clash that lie ahead.

The letter further went on saying Sterling rejects the fine. This was based on an assertion on a couple important points. One, that Sterling has yet to violate any NBA rules, and second, with Sterling’s “due process” not being met.