Legal-Bay Lawsuit Settlement Funding Says NFL Concussion Settlement Fairness Hearing Resulted in No Official Settlement Approval

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Legal-Bay LLC, The Lawsuit Settlement Funding Company, announced today that the fairness hearing in Philadelphia, PA last month before U.S. District Judge Anita Brody resulted in no official settlement approval. The NFL concussion suit settlement is approximately $765 million, and while most former players seemed to have accepted the deal by opting in, the official terms of the settlement upset some of the lawyers representing retired players who are objecting to the settlement. Most of the approximate 20,000 former players are backing the deal, but others think the NFL should pay more. The terms of the settlement state that only players who had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.), a degenerative neurological disease, prior to July when the settlement was preliminarily approved, will be eligible for up to $4 million while anyone who was discovered to have C.T.E after that time would receive nothing. A handful of retired players are complaining that only players who died with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.) within a small amount of years will be eligible to receive a cash award. U.S. District Judge Anita Brody had granted preliminary approval to the settlement deal after the NFL agreed to remove a $675 million cap on payments, however, after conducting the hearing and listening to complaints and objections, she will decide if the settlement is truly fair. Judge Brody is expected to make her final decision in early 2015.

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Certain lawyers and objectors said that "the settlement covers only a handful of serious illnesses, like Parkinson's disease and severe dementia, and that the formula that provides more money to younger players and those with more NFL experience was arbitrary," according to The NY Times. While the NFL has agreed to spend $75 million to evaluate whether or not players are qualified to receive a cash award, some lawyers insisted that "the tests the players will have to take to be paid were biased against those with less education and were designed to prevent players from receiving an award," according to the Times article. Also, the NFL will be permitted to appeal an unlimited number of diagnoses, which some objectors found to be another unfair advantage. U.S. District Judge Anita Brody is expected to receive more filings from both supporters and critics. Her decision could go several ways. The settlement could very well be approved, or rejected outright, or she could reject it but suggest changes. No cash awards will be paid until all appeals are exhausted, and with several lawyers claiming they will file an appeal, the NFL concussion suit settlement could drag out longer than initially expected.

Patty Kirby, Head of NFL Lawsuit Funding at Legal-Bay, commented on the company's dedication to aiding ex-NFL players involved in the NFL concussion suit, "Unfortunately what we have seen in similar litigations, such as the BP Oil Spill Economic Funding, is that a settlement is never final until all appeals are exhausted and the money is actually paid. What is most concerning is that the settlement was supposedly done with hopes of getting suffering ex-NFL players the relief they need, but now their agony will continue as there are sure to be countless delays in the process, including the NFL's ability to appeal an unlimited amount of claims, which is what we consider the most disturbing. Regardless of the delays and risk of appeal losses, we remain committed to helping ex-NFL players get a lawsuit cash advance today so that they can live their lives with some dignity until their settlement check is received."   

Legal-Bay is a lawsuit pre-settlement funding company that provides cash advances to plaintiffs while they're awaiting payments before their cases are fully settled. Legal-Bay is currently providing up to $50K pre-settlement lawsuit cash on serious injury NFL concussion cases. The cash advances are on a non-recourse basis, meaning the plaintiff only needs to repay the advance if the case is successful. Legal-Bay does not buy the full claim but only advances a small portion of the expected settlement amount. Any fees or expenses accrued on the advance will be repaid by the plaintiff's lawyer if and when the case is officially settled and paid. To learn more about Legal-Bay's NFL Concussion and Painkiller lawsuit funding cases, feel free to visit: http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com/nfl-concussion-settlement-funding.php

Here is a list of just some of the other employment or work-related cases that Legal-Bay is considering for pre-settlement cash advance:  Catholic Church or Clergy Sex Abuse cases, Penn State University Sexual Abuse cases, Citadel Military University Sexual Abuse cases, Summer Camp or Camp Sexual Abuse cases, Sexual Harassment cases on the job or in the workplace, Sexual Abuse cases in State or Government Run Group or Foster Homes, Sexual Abuse or Harassment to minors who are now adults, Sexual Harassment cases in the workplace that led to wrongful termination, Sexual Abuse/Wrongful Death suits, Assault and Battery cases in the workplace or on the job, Wrongful Termination, Discrimination in Workplace or on the job, BP Work and Economic claims, and several others.

Legal-Bay's programs are non-recourse lawsuit cash advances, also known as case funding. None of the programs should be considered to be a lawsuit loan, lawsuit loans, settlement loans, settlement loan, pre-settlement loans, or a pre-settlement loan. To learn more about how Legal-Bay's funding process visit: http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com/funding-process.php

If you, or a loved one, have been victimized by a wrongful termination, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, discrimination, NFL concussion and/or painkiller abuse, or are involved in other employment disputes such as a whistleblower suit and need a lawsuit cash advance while you wait for your settlement award, feel free to call Legal-Bay on its toll free hotline at: 877.571.0405 where live agents are standing by 24 hours a day to assist you. You may also apply online at: http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com and an agent will respond to your request shortly. 

Legal-Bay LLC (and their related companies) is not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice on your case, however, Legal-Bay works with lawyers involved in mass tort litigations who can provide you with a free legal consultation at the consumer's direction.    

SOURCE Legal-Bay LLC

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