Sony’s “Concussion,” starring Will Smith, will be released in theaters this Friday, December 25. As advocates for those who have suffered from concussions and other forms of traumatic brain injuries, we at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. are pleased that a film like this has been made to speak out for the 5.2 million Americans who suffer from the permanent consequences of head injuries. We encourage you to see the film this weekend and learn more about the controversy surrounding the NFL’s purposeful suppression of Dr. Bennet Omalu’s research, which first discovered the link between chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and football.
You may remember from our previous blog that Sony reportedly changed elements of “Concussion” to avoid portraying the NFL in a negative light. As attorneys, our hope is that the film did not sacrifice too much of the big picture regarding the sport’s ongoing head trauma crisis, which the NFL acknowledges will affect at least a third of its players. We believe this film offers a great opportunity for people to become more aware of how the NFL failed to help its players when confronted with Omalu’s research, and did nothing to help those whose injuries left them to suffer consequences like dementia, behavioral problems, memory loss, chronic headaches, and depression. We believe that all brain injuries are serious and must be treated as such by the NFL, insurance carriers, and healthcare providers, and that this controversial and provocative film will open up the conversation on how to make effective changes.
Whatever alterations were made to the film, we are confident that it will nevertheless cause people to think twice about one of our nation’s favorite sports. We encourage you to read more about the upcoming film in a Daily News interview with a doctor, a lawyer, a former NFL quarterback, and an activist, which can be accessed online here.
You can find more information about sports injuries, brain injuries, and your options for legal recourse by browsing our website or calling for a free case review. Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. has been designated as “Preferred Attorneys” by the Brain Injury Association of America and our lawyers have represented countless brain injury victims in our many years of practice.