WATCH YOUR HEAD

NHL Settles Concussions Lawsuit With Former Players for $18.9 Million

Former players alleged the league did not “protect them from head injuries or warning them of the risks involved with playing.”

The National Hockey League announced Monday that it has reached a “tentative” $18.9 million settlement with hundreds of retired players who alleged in a lawsuit that the league failed to “protect them from head injuries or warning them of the risks involved with playing,” the Associated Press reports. The settlement reportedly does not acknowledge the league’s liability for former players’ claims, and it can be terminated if “all 318 players or their estates don’t elect to participate.” If all former players do opt-in within the 75-day time period, they would reportedly receive $22,000 and would be eligible for up to $75,000 in medical treatment. The AP reports that 146 additional former players joined the 172 players that initially filed the lawsuit in November 2013. One of the plaintiffs, retired Chicago Blackhawks player Daniel Carcillo, wrote on Twitter that he was unhappy about the settlement due to the 100 percent opt-in provision. “I want the NHL to take accountability for withholding info & move forward with proper education, diagnosis & care,” he wrote.