Irony: NFL Denies Players’ Brain Injury while Paying Them Permanent Disability Benefits

Ironically, for six long years, the National Football league has been denying the link between brain injury and football.

However, as reported by ESPN’s Outside the Lines and PBS’s Frontline Program, the league retirement board agreed to pay more than $2 million in disability benefits to three former players three years ago. In fact, the reporters allegedly obtained legal documents as well as medical records from the disability claim filed by one of the plaintiffs, Mike Webster, way back in 1999.

Apparently, the former players were paid after the league determined that football had left the players with life-devastating brain injury. However, it is pretty opposite to the league’s current stance towards the concussion lawsuits that it now faces.

This is indeed huge news that could significantly affect the ongoing litigations filed by the current and former football players against the league.

In fact, according to Webster’s lawyer, said report could serve as a strong evidence for the current plaintiffs’ claims that the NFL asked to be dismissed. In addition, the league seems to be totally blindsided by the recent revelation. In fact, it even denied the fact that the NFL or its association was the one behind that decision granting the former players with disability benefits.

On the other hand, proving the credibility of its report, the Outside the Lines and Frontlines show affirmed that based on the documents that they gathered, the NFL turned over a list of 11 players who had filed disability benefit claims. Subsequently, the league rejected nine claims but approved two.

Meanwhile, a Los Angeles permanent disability lawyer, who closely monitors the progress of this current class action lawsuit against the league, speculated that this case is still likely to progress following this surprising revelation.

SSA Confirms New Office Hours

Last Wednesday, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has confirmed that it will be closing to the public 30 minutes earlier each day beginning on November 19.

According to a press release posted on the agency’s official web page, if a certain field office usually opens on weekdays at 9 o’clock in the morning and closes at 3:30 in the afternoon, it will be closing at 3 o’clock in the afternoon starting November 19.

Moreover, on January 2 next year, offices will be closed to the public at noon every Wednesday.

It could be remembered that it was last month when rumors regarding the agency’s plan to cut 30 minutes from the usual office hours surfaced. However, nothing about the agency’s plan to close at noon on every Wednesday broke out.

Accordingly, although office hours will be reduced, employees will still continue to work their regular hours. The shortened office hours was said to allow employees to complete face-to-face interviews and process claims work without going for overtime work.

Incidentally, the agency’s employees usually extend their regular office hours to handle service to the public. However, this year’s significantly reduced funding from the Congress makes it far possible for the agency to incur some more costs on overtime pays.

Furthermore, talking about backlogs, beginning November 23, all Social Security field offices will be close to public so that employees will have the whole day to focus on reducing backlogs. Actually, the same effort was also done by the agency last year.

On the other hand, several labor groups, applicants, and recipients are quite disappointed with the agency’s idea of reducing office hours. According to them, it could probably mean lesser chances for them to apply and qualify for benefits.

Meanwhile, some Los Angeles social security claim lawyers herein reminded that the agency’s recently launched online service would play a major role in replacing the field offices’ lost office hours since it is always available for applicants and members at any given time. Also, the same is perfectly customized for everyone, including those that are mute and hearing impaired. In addition, it likewise provides a Spanish version.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Turns Forty

Last October 30, the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program celebrated its 40th anniversary.

SSI is created and signed into law in 1972 by President Richard Nixon. The program is designed to provide benefits to both adults and children who are suffering from disabling conditions and have limited income and resources. The SSI likewise provides benefits to people who are 65 years of age and older, and who meet the program’s set financial limits.

Consequently, the program plays a very significant role in reducing poverty and helping those people in need.

Incidentally, during the legislation of the said program, President Nixon noted that the program’s beneficiaries were subject to great inequities and significant red tape inherent in the current system of different state programs with various benefits eligibility standards and rules.

Subsequently, upon the implementation of the federal benefits, it was found out that the quality of life of the disabled and aged individuals significantly improved after they were transferred from former state programs to SSI.

Initially, people with disabling conditions usually live in large state-managed institution wherein patients were isolated from their families and communities. However, as time passed by, Americans’ attitude regarding the same have changed—shifting away from institutional care provider for the disabled to family and community-based care. 

Meanwhile, a Los Angeles social security disability firm likewise agrees that from the advent of the SSI, lifestyles of the disabled and aged individuals began to change in a nice and ideal way, since it has been a witness to the previous changes. Moreover, the firm also congratulates the program for its 40 long years of providing helpful service to the entire nation.