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How can Locks Law Firm celebrate the appearance of the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII given that we have been battling against the NFL in the concussion litigation for over six years?  Quite easily and joyously!   Yes, the conduct of the National Football League in failing to protect its players from the risks of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has been heinous.  And yes, the NFL continues to throw every roadblock possible in the way of former players and the the surviving spouses and families of former players seeking compensation pursuant to the settlement which was achieved in the litigation.   It's even true that in the first couple of years after I began working on the case I had a difficult time watching the games.   Seeing players suffer obvious concussions and being permitted to continue playing was horrifying given my knowledge of the risks that would result from their being permitted to continue playing.  But changes have been made.  Things are improving.  It is still far from perfect, but the concussion protocol which has been implemented, I believe in large part because of the litigation,  is a huge improvement.  Rob Gronkowski did not return to the AFC championship game after suffering a concussion.  Five years ago he likely would have, to his detriment.  We at Locks Law Firm are proud to have played a role in spurring the NFL to implement these long overdue changes.

In previous blog entries on this subject, we have discussed the general nature of the hazard of lawn tractor rollovers and some of the statistics that have been compiled concerning them. We also have addressed the industry history of Rollover Protection Systems (ROPS) and its’ near 100% effectiveness in preventing death. We have also discussed some of the defenses which the tractor manufacturers have asserted in court to justify why they either do not have ROPS available or make them available only as extra optional equipment for an additional price.

Surveillance videos can make or break a case. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued an important opinion on access to police dash-cam videos, or motor vehicle recordings (MVRs), on June 20, 2017 in Pennsylvania State Police v. Grove, 161 A.3d 877 (Pa., 2017). Grove was the subject of a prior blog. Since Grove, there have been a new statute and a new case that are both important.