Four lawsuits accusing the NFL of failing to protect its players from concussions have been consolidated into a single, large pre-trial case. More than a dozen similar lawsuits must be reviewed by a panel of federal judges and are likely to be combined with the four consolidated lawsuits.

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that has plagued professional football players for years. Poor equipment, unsafe rules and a lack of knowledge about the effects of concussions have led to many players over the years suffering multiple concussions, some in cases where they immediately returned to the field to continue playing despite the serious head injury.

The lawsuit consolidation sets up a potentially combative and emotional legal battle between the NFL and a number of its former players, some of whom were stars in their playing days. In total, more than 600 ex-players and their wives sued the NFL for the health issues suffered later in life that have been the product of playing football.

An attorney for the NFL last week contended that player-safety issues are addressed in the collective bargaining agreement struck between the NFL and its player association, and as a result should be handled privately in arbitration rather than in a public forum like a court room.

The court will have to first decide whether to dismiss the NFL's motion or to proceed with the trial. If the lawsuit case is upheld, players and their attorneys will have the benefit of combining their efforts and resources for what could be a lengthy and difficult battle with a multi-billion dollar business.

A critical focus of the players will be gathering evidence to prove that the NFL for years knew about the life-altering dangers of concussions, but failed to do anything in the way of educating players and/or improving safety until recent years.

Source: Miami Herald, "Player lawsuits against NFL to be consolidated" Adam H. Beasley, Jan. 31, 2012