Kansas City Star -- Jovan Belcher’s mother has filed a wrongful-death suit against the Chiefs, seeking unspecified damages after the former linebacker killed his girlfriend and himself in December 2012.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Jackson County circuit court, alleges that Belcher “unknowingly sacrificed his brain” during a four-year career with the Chiefs. It also alleges that the team failed to protect Belcher and his safety and knew, or should’ve known, that Belcher showed signs of cognitive and neuro-psychiatric impairment. Belcher’s body was exhumed at the request of his family at the North Babylon Cemetery in Bay Shore, N.Y., two weeks ago. His brain is being examined for evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. The family is awaiting final results.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges “wrongful conduct” by the Chiefs that “destroyed multiple lives.” The suit specifically mentions CTE many times.[...]
Belcher killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, with nine gunshots Dec. 1, 2012, at the home they shared. He then drove to the Chiefs’ practice facility and killed himself with a single shot to the head, leaving their daughter orphaned. Belcher’s mother, Cheryl Shepherd, and Zoey were both in the home when Belcher, 25, killed Perkins.
Belcher had no documented history of concussions or other head injuries. The lawsuit alleges the Chiefs missed signs of concussions, including one allegedly suffered in a game against the Bengals on Nov. 18, 2012, on a play that ended up being Belcher’s last tackle.
The suit also mentions changes in Belcher’s behavior, including mood swings, and alleges that the Chiefs “directly caused or directly contributed to cause” Belcher to develop neurological impairments or damage.[...]
The suit says Belcher was knocked unconscious during a game against the Jaguars in 2009 but was not immediately evaluated or given time to fully recover before resuming practice. It also says the team assumed a duty to provide competent health care for Belcher when it ordered him to see a counselor on at least two occasions in October and November of 2012.
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Blog author's comments - Could it be that Jovan Belcher's mother foresees, in the not to distant future, that she will not be living a life of luxury because her son's money will be gone? Responsibility is a dirty word to many people. Jovan Belcher was old enough to think for himself. He committed a terrible crime. It is unlikely that football did it. The gun didn't do it. Jovan Belcher did it.
So Belcher's mother hired a lawyer to go after the Kansas City Chiefs' owners with hopes that the Chiefs won't want to fight the suit and give the mother a large amount of money which will keep both her and her attorney rich for quite some time. Many on the left do not like football or the NFL, and if they had their way football would be banned for not only the professional players but also college, high school and youth leagues. I hope the Chiefs fight the suit.
I am guessing that this young man played football for years, probably since he was a child, so to say that injuries occurred which made him commit the crime, and take his own life, while he was with the Chiefs is overreaching. How can what Jovan Belcher did be blamed on football...because his mother has a chance to make, she hopes, a lot of money. Did his mother try to stop him from playing or was she just happy when he signed his multimillion dollar contract with the Kansas City Chiefs?
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