News
Former Notre Dame Football Player sues School and NCAA
Steven Schmitz played football for Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978. In 2014, the Cleveland Clinic diagnosed Mr. Schmitz with CTE and he died in 2015. Schmitz and his wife, Yvette, brought suit against the University of Notre Dame and the NCAA in 2014 for their failure to protect their former player from brain injuries. The lawsuit presented evidence that Mr. Schmitz’s condition was caused by repetitive hits to his head. The case is similar to the NFL lawsuits which resulted in the much disputed and delayed payouts to the former players who qualified.
The lawsuit made its way to the Ohio Supreme Court after appeals at lower levels of the court. The University contended that Mr. Schmitz was aware of his diagnosis in 2010 and the statute of limitations made his suit invalid.
This case highlights the dangers of repetitive hits to the head, even sub-concussive blows, which can result in the neurological condition known as CTE. Through NeuroNotes at traumaticbraininjury.net we have shared many stories about athletes living with problems caused by their sports careers. Included in these stories are George Visger, a retired San Francisco 49’r, and Ray Ciancaglini, a retired boxer. Both Visger and Ciancaglini are tireless advocates for concussion awareness and injury prevention at all levels of sports.
Click here to read the Dayton Daily News story: https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohioan-who-played-for-notre-dame-sues-over-brain-injuries/WDYeqk243q7e9tvZKawIpJ/
Key words: Steven Schmitz, Yvette Schmitz, CTE, University of Notre Dame lawsuit, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, multiple concussions, George Visger, Ray Ciancaglini, repetitive hits to the head, NFL lawsuit, football brain injuries
