Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon and seven other ex-NFL players say the NFL illegally gave them narcotics and other painkillers that led to addiction and long-term medical complications in an explosive lawsuit filed on Tuesday.
The suit, filed in San Francisco federal court, says the league obtained and administered the drugs without prescriptions in order to get injured players back on the field. Some players say they received large amounts of painkillers for free during their NFL careers and were addicted to the pills when they retired.
'Rather than allowing players the opportunity to rest and heal, the NFL has illegally and unethically substituted pain medications for proper health care to keep the money rolling in,' the lawsuit says.
In addition to McMahon, two other members of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears are also plaintiffs in the suit. Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent claims he became hooked on painkillers during the course of his career.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
'After his playing career ended, he was no longer able to obtain painkillers for free from the NFL and was forced to purchase over-the-counter painkillers to satisfy his 'cravings,'' the suit says.
Offensive lineman Keith Van Horne, meanwhile, claims Bears head trainer Fred Cato came down hard on him after he was prescribed Percodan by a doctor without any affiliation to the NFL after he suffered an injury.
'The problem was that the Bears ordered painkillers in advance of every season under a player's name and Van Horne had thus put Cato in a bad spot by obtaining the Percodan when there were already DEA records that hundreds of painkillers had been ordered in Van Horne's name, even though Van Horne had no need for the medications the Bears had ordered at the time the order was placed,' the suit says.
Tony Dejak/AP
McMahon, meanwhile, became addicted to painkillers, downing more than 100 Percocet pills per month, the lawsuit says. Team doctors and trainers didn't get prescriptions for the medication, keep records or explain side effects.
The lawsuit, filed by attorney Steven Silverman, seeks class-action status for any former player who received painkillers and other drugs without prescription, independent diagnosis, or warning about side effects or the dangers from mixing with other drugs.
The league agreed to pay $765 million last year to players who claimed in a lawsuit that the NFL concealed the dangers of concussions, but a federal judge rejected the deal in January and the case is still pending.
Entities 0 Name: NFL Count: 6 1 Name: Van Horne Count: 3 2 Name: Chicago Bears Count: 1 3 Name: Richard Dent Count: 1 4 Name: Fred Cato Count: 1 5 Name: Pablo Martinez Monsivais\/AP Former Chicago Bears Count: 1 6 Name: McMahon Count: 1 7 Name: Steven Silverman Count: 1 8 Name: Charles Rex Arbogast\/AP Count: 1 9 Name: Jim McMahon Count: 1 10 Name: Cato Count: 1 11 Name: Percodan Count: 1 12 Name: Tony Dejak\/AP McMahon Count: 1 13 Name: San Francisco Count: 1 14 Name: DEA Count: 1 15 Name: Keith Van Horne Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1gguJnO Title: Mathis' agent: NFL misleading public Description: ESPN.com news services Robert Mathis' agent on Monday accused the NFL of misleading the public with its statements on the drug his client used that resulted in the Indianapolis Colts linebacker's four-game suspension and questioned the league's unwillingness to adjust the penalty.
