Pro Athletes, Workers' Compensation, Disability Benefits and the NFL's Concussion Epidemic

Professional athletes are employees just like anyone else, but their paychecks tend to be much bigger than those of the average American worker. Even though they are compensated at high levels, they are still eligible for workers' compensation benefits and even social security disability benefits. Concussions and head trauma have plagued the NFL for years, but a class action lawsuit has finally come to fruition and has attracted major media attention. In this lecture, we will look at what benefits are available to professional athletes and we’ll delve into the NFL’s concussion epidemic, the pending litigation between former NFL players and the league and it’s relationship to Social Security law.

Learning Objectives:

1. Grasp how Social Security Disability and workers compensation relate to professional football
2. Get an in-depth look at the class action lawsuit against the NFL brought by former players
3. Advise your client on disability law
4. Discover what disability programs are offered to former and current NFL players
5. Understand the various burdens of proof needed to establish a claim for disability benefits
   

This course originally appeared as a part of our February 2014 Bridge the Gap Event.