Pittman Dutton & Hellums attorney Chris Hellums, along with
Columbia, South Carolina attorney John Nichols, filed a nationwide class action lawsuit
against the NCAA last week. The lawsuit claims that the NCAA was negligent in
protecting its football players from the dangers of head trauma and brain
damage from concussions. The lawsuit seeks medical monitoring and damages.
The named Plaintiff in the
lawsuit is Stanley Doughty. Stanley’s case is compelling. A native of Amite, Louisiana,
Stanley was recruited to play football at the University of South Carolina and
did so for three years. He decided to forego his senior year at South
Carolina and signed a $400,000 contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
After signing a contract with the Chiefs, but before he could even begin
training camp, the Chiefs’ doctors told Stanley that they would not medically
clear him to play on account of injuries he sustained while playing football in
college. He was also told he and would need surgery. Thereafter, Stanley was released by the
Chiefs, and to this day, has still not received his needed surgery.
Meghan Walsh, writing for The Atlantic magazine, published an
excellent story on May 1, 2013, chronicling Stanley’s life.That story can be
found at this link:
