Judge Gives Final Approval To NFL Concussion Settlement

A federal judge is giving final approval to the NFL concussion settlement.

Thousands of former players sued the league, claiming it purposefully hid the long-term dangers of concussions and head trauma from playing football.

The settlement will provide payments of up to five-million-dollars to players diagnosed with specific neurological disorders.  There will also be medical monitoring of all players to determine if they qualify for payment and 10-million-dollars to provide concussion education.

The settlement was first reached in August 2013, but the judge twice asked both sides to revise the agreement.  At issue were a cap to the amount of damages players could collect and how much would be spent on player monitoring. (Metro Networks Inc.)