Lawsuit accuses Notre Dame of ignoring head injuries

A former Notre Dame football player is part of a class action lawsuit accusing the university of ignoring safety regulations with regard to head injuries.

Gary Gray played cornerback for the Fighting Irish from 2007-11 and, in the lawsuit, said he suffered a number of concussions during that time. He claims that coaches compelled him and other players to ignore the symptoms and continue playing in games.

The lawsuit also names the NCAA and alleges that the association and Notre Dame showed “reckless disregard for the health and safety” of student-athletes.

From The Observer:

According to the complaint, the NCAA did not acknowledge the dangers of concussion in its Sports Medicine handbook — a book produced annually outlining the NCAA’s official policies and guidelines for the treatment and prevention of sports-related injuries, as well as return-to-play guidelines — until 1994, and the treatment protocol for member institutions was left up to the individual school. Notre Dame did not have “adequate” concussion-related safety measures until 2010, which the complaint alleges was a failure of the University’s obligation to help protect the health and safety of its student-athletes.

The complaint brings forth several charges against both Notre Dame and the NCAA, including negligence, fraudulent concealment, breach of implied contract and unjust enrichment.

Gray said he now suffers from anxiety and depression as a result of his injuries.

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