Seniors' health
FILE - Pittsburgh Steelers NFL football player Najeh Davenport is shown in Pittsburgh on Sept. 23, 2007. Hundreds of Black NFL retirees denied payouts in the $1 billion concussion settlement now qualify for awards after their tests were rescored to eliminate racial bias. The fact that the testing algorithm adjusted scores by race, as a rough proxy for someone's socioeconomic background, went unnoticed for several years until lawyers for former Pittsburgh Steelers Kevin Henry and Najeh Davenport exposed it in a 2020 lawsuit. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
More Black NFL retirees win dementia cases in rescored tests

By Maryclaire Dale Aug. 12, 2022 09:12 AM EDT

Rugby players taking legal action about brain injury claims

Jul. 24, 2022 07:23 PM EDT
LONDON (AP) — More than 100 former rugby players are taking legal action against World Rugby and the national governing bodies of England and Wales over what they...

FILE - Former NFL players Ken Jenkins, right, and Clarence Vaughn III, center right, along with their wives, Amy Lewis, center, and Brooke Vaughn, left, carry tens of thousands of petitions demanding equal treatment for everyone involved in the settlement of concussion claims against the NFL, to the federal courthouse in Philadelphia, Friday, May 14, 2021. Black retired football players who were denied payments for dementia in the NFL's $1 billion concussion settlement can seek to be retested or have their claims rescored to eliminate racial bias in the testing and payout formula, under a revised plan finalized Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Judge approves fix to stem race bias in NFL concussion deal

By Maryclaire Dale Mar. 04, 2022 12:20 PM EST

Judge: Black retired NFL players denied payments for dementia in $1B concussion settlement can seek rescoring, retesting

Mar. 04, 2022 12:19 PM EST
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Judge: Black retired NFL players denied payments for dementia in $1B concussion settlement can seek rescoring, retesting. ...

Family says former Cowboys player, NFL head coach Dan Reeves has died at the age of 77 of complications from dementia

Jan. 01, 2022 09:39 AM EST
ATLANTA (AP) — Family says former Cowboys player, NFL head coach Dan Reeves has died at the age of 77 of complications from dementia. ...

NFL agrees to end race-based dementia testing in proposal to settle concussion claims that have paid nearly $1 billion

Oct. 20, 2021 07:40 PM EDT
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — NFL agrees to end race-based dementia testing in proposal to settle concussion claims that have paid nearly $1 billion. ...

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2014, file photo, NFL lawyer Brad Karp leaves federal court after a hearing on the proposed NFL concussion settlement, in Philadelphia. Lawyers for the NFL and retired players filed proposed changes to the $1 billion concussion settlement on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, to remove race-norming in dementia testing, which made it more difficult for Black players to qualify for payments. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
NFL, players agree to end 'race-norming' in $1B settlement

By Maryclaire Dale Oct. 20, 2021 01:05 AM EDT

Brittany Bowlen speaks during a news conference to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease outside the Denver Broncos' headquarters Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Englewood, Colo. Both Pat Bowlen, the deceased owner of the Broncos, and now his wife, Annabelle, have dealt with the disease. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Aiding Alzheimer's Association personal for Broncos, Bowlens

By Arnie Stapleton Aug. 18, 2021 03:00 PM EDT

FILE - This Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007, file photo shows Pittsburgh Steelers' Najeh Davenport in Pittsburgh. The NFL on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, pledged to halt the use of “race-norming” — which assumed Black players started out with lower cognitive functioning — in the $1 billion settlement of brain injury claims and review past scores for any potential race bias. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
NFL pledges to halt 'race-norming,' review Black claims

By Maryclaire Dale Jun. 02, 2021 02:23 PM EDT

Former NFL player Clarence Vaughn III, center left, and his wife Brooke Vaughn kiss before delivering tens of thousands of petitions demanding equal treatment for everyone involved in the settlement of concussion claims against the NFL, to the federal courthouse in Philadelphia, Friday, May 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Retired Black players say NFL brain-injury payouts show bias

By Maryclaire Dale And Michelle R. Smith May. 14, 2021 01:09 PM EDT

FILE - Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najeh Davenport (44) sits on the bench during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Pittsburgh, in this Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, file photo. A federal judge on Monday, March 8, 2021, dismissed a lawsuit that challenged “race-norming” in dementia tests for retired NFL players, a practice that some say makes it harder for Black athletes to show injury and qualify for awards. Davenport was denied an award but would have qualified had they been white, according to their lawsuit. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
Lawyers battle over 'race-norming' in NFL dementia tests

By Maryclaire Dale Mar. 22, 2021 01:00 PM EDT

FILE - Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najeh Davenport (44) sits on the bench during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Pittsburgh, in this Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, file photo. A federal judge on Monday, March 8, 2021, dismissed a lawsuit that challenged “race-norming” in dementia tests for retired NFL players, a practice that some say makes it harder for Black athletes to show injury and qualify for awards. Davenport was denied an award but would have qualified had they been white, according to their lawsuit. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
Judge tosses suit over 'race-norming' in NFL dementia tests

By Maryclaire Dale Mar. 08, 2021 11:49 AM EST

French supporters pose for a photo as they arrive for the Autumn Nations Cup final rugby union international match between England and France at Twickenham stadium in London, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020. Two thousand spectators, including 400 NHS workers who have received free tickets, will be in attendance as COVID-19 restrictions are eased after the latest lockdown. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Former rugby players join forces on brain injury claims

Dec. 08, 2020 01:38 PM EST

File-Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Rick Mirer (3) is sacked for a seven-yard-loss by Kevin Henry (76) of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter of their NFL game in Seattle, Wash., Sunday, Dec. 26, 1993. Dementia tests in the NFL concussion litigation allow doctors to use different baseline standards for Black and white retired players, making it more difficult for Blacks to show injury and qualify for awards, lawyers for two ex-players argued in court filings Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. Lawyers for ex-players Henry and Najeh Davenport said their clients were denied awards “based on a discriminatory testing regime" that weighs sociological factors including race. Both men would have qualified for awards had race not been considered, they said. (AP Photos/Gary Stewart, File)
Lawyers: NFL concussion awards discriminate against Blacks

By Maryclaire Dale Aug. 25, 2020 05:37 PM EDT

This Sept. 28, 2018 photo shows batting helmets in a rack before a Major League Baseball game in New York. According to study published Friday, May 24, 2019, NFL players may be more likely to die from brain diseases and heart problems than MLB players but the reasons are unclear. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Deaths from brain, heart problems higher for NFL than MLB

By Lindsey Tanner May. 24, 2019 11:46 AM EDT

Judge: Ex-NFL players must see neurologists close to home

By Maryclaire Dale May. 17, 2019 04:36 PM EDT
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Retired NFL players seeking testing as part of a $1 billion concussion settlement must see a doctor close to home to prevent fraud and "doctor...

Attorney Gene Locks, who represents many former NFL players, walks from the federal courthouse in Philadelphia after a hearing, Tuesday, May 7, 2019. The NFL concussion fund has paid out $485 million since 2017, but some players lawyers, including Locks, told a federal judge in Philadelphia on Tuesday that there aren't enough doctors in the fund's network to diagnose dementia cases. They oppose a rule to require that players be evaluated by doctors within 150 miles of home to prevent "doctor shopping." (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
NFL concussion fund pays out $485M, but legal fights resume

By Maryclaire Dale May. 07, 2019 01:20 PM EDT

NFL drops appeal over dementia claims in concussion case

By Maryclaire Dale Jan. 09, 2019 05:11 PM EST
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The NFL abruptly dropped its plan Wednesday to challenge approved dementia diagnoses in a landmark concussion case as players' lawyers accuse it...