Latest Lawsuit Accuses NFL of Illegally Pushing Pain Meds

In the latest legal assault on the nation’s most popular sport, former professional athletes are accusing the National Football League of illegally pushing players to take risky narcotics that masked serious injuries and turned some athletes into drug addicts. The allegations come in a lawsuit filed today on behalf of more than 500 ex-players in federal court in San Francisco.

The suit, which seeks class action status, raises an immediate question: Can adults sue a former employer for supposedly encouraging them to take painkillers? In a word, yes.

If, as accused, NFL teams obtained drugs illegally and misled players about side effects and addiction dangers, that could be grounds for a liability finding and big money damages. The NFL generates some $10 billion a year in revenue based on the talents of those players. Read more...