IN RE NAT'L FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS CONCUSSION

Nos. 15-2206, 15-2217, 15-2230, 15-2234, 15-2272, 15-2273, 15-2290, 15-2291, 15-2292, 15-2294, 15-2304, 15-2305.

821 F.3d 410 (2016)

IN RE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS CONCUSSION INJURY LITIGATION. Craig Heimburger; Dawn Heimburger, Appellants (15-2206). Cleo Miller; Judson Flint; Elmer Underwood; Vincent Clark, Sr.; Ken Jones; Fred Smerlas; Jim Rourke; Lou Piccone; James David Wilkins, II, Appellants (15-2217). Curtis L. Anderson, Appellant (15-2230). Darren R. Carrington, Appellant (15-2234). Raymond Armstrong; Nathaniel Newton, Jr.; Larry Brown; Kenneth Davis; Michael McGruder; Clifton L. Odom; George Teague; Drew Coleman; Dennis DeVaughn; Alvin Harper; Ernest Jones; Michael Kiselak; Jeremy Loyd; Gary Wayne Lewis; Lorenzo Lynch; Hurles Scales, Jr.; Gregory Evans; David Mims; Evan Ogelsby; Phillip E. Epps; Charles L. Haley, Sr.; Kevin Rey Smith; Darryl Gerard Lewis; Curtis Bernard Wilson; Kelvin Mack Edwards, Sr.; Dwayne Levels; Solomon Page; Tim McKyer; Larry Barnes; James Garth Jax; William B. Duff; Mary Hughes; Barbara Scheer, Appellants (15-2272). Liyongo Patrise Alexander; Charlie Anderson; Charles E. Arbuckle; Cassandra Bailey, as Representative of the Estate of Johnny Bailey; Ben Bronson; Curtis Ceaser, Jr.; Larry Centers; Darrell Colbert; Harry Colon; Christopher Crooms; Jerry W. Davis; Tim Denton; Michael Dumas; Corris Ervin; Doak Field; Baldwin Malcolm Frank; Derrick Frazier; Murray E. Garrett; Clyde P. Glosson; Roderick W. Harris; Wilmer K. Hicks, Jr.; Patrick Jackson; Gary Jones; Ryan McCoy; Jerry James Moses, Jr.; Anthony E. Newsom; Rance Olison; John Owens; Robert Pollard; Derrick Pope; Glenell Sanders; Thomas Sanders; Dwight A. Scales; Todd Scott; Frankie Smith; Jermaine Smith; Tyrone Smith; James A. Young, Sr., Appellants (15-2273). Scott Gilchrist, individually and on behalf of the Estate of Carlton Chester "Cookie" Gilchrist, Appellant (15-2290). Jimmie H. Jones; Ricky Ray; Jesse Solomon, Appellants (15-2291) Andrew Stewart, Appellant (15-2292). Willie T. Taylor, Appellant (15-2294). Alan Faneca; Roderick "Rock" Cartwright; Jeff Rohrer; Sean Considine, Appellants (15-2304). James Mayberry, Appellant (15-2305).

United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.

Opinion filed: April 18, 2016.

Amended May 2, 2016.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

TerriAnne Benedetto, Esquire , Seeger Weiss , Gene Locks, Esquire , David D. Langfitt, Esquire , Locks Law Firm, Dianne M. Nast, Esquire , NastLaw, Arnold Levin, Esquire , Frederick S. Longer, Esquire , Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berman, Robert C. Heim, Esquire , Dechert, Sol H. Weiss, Esquire , Anapol Schwartz , Philadelphia, PA, David R. Buchanan, Esquire , Diogenes P. Kekatos, Esquire , Christopher A. Seeger, Esquire , Seeger Weiss LLP, Samuel Issacharoff, Esquire (Argued), New York University Law School, Brad S. Karp, Esquire , Theodore V. Wells, Jr., Esquire , Lynn B. Bayard, Esquire , Bruce A. Birenboim, Esquire , Walter R. Reiman, Esquire , Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, New York, NY, Stephen F. Rosenthal, Esquire , Steven C. Marks, Esquire , Podhurst Orseck , Miami, FL, Beth A. Wilkinson, Esq. , Wilkinson Walsh & Eskovitz, Paul D. Clement, Esquire (Argued), Andrew N. Ferguson, Esquire , David Zachary Hudson, Esquire , Robert M. Bernstein, Esquire , Bancroft PLLC, Washington, DC, for Appellees.

Alan B. Morrison, Esquire , George Washington University, Scott L. Nelson, Esquire , Public Citizen Litigation Group, Washington, DC, for Amicus Appellant Public Citizen Inc.

Shana De Caro, Esquire , Michael V. Kaplen, Esquire , De Caro & Kaplan, Pleasantville, NY, for Amicus Curiae Brain Injury Association of America.

Christopher A. Bandas, Esquire , Bandas Law Firm, Corpus Christi, TX, Howard J. Bashman, Esquire (Argued), Willow Grove, PA, Gary P. Lightman, Esquire , Glenn A. Manochi, Esquire , Lightman & Manochi, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellants Craig and Dawn Heimburger.

Edward W. Cochran, Esquire , Cochran & Cochran, Shaker Heights, OH, John J. Pentz, Esquire , Sudbury, MA, for Appellants Cleo Miller; Judson Flint; Elmer Underwood; Vincent Clark, Sr.; Ken Jones; Fred Smerlas; Jim Rourke; Lou Piccone; James David Wilkins, II.

George W. Cochran, Esquire , Streetsboro, OH, for Appellant Curtis L. Anderson.

Joseph Darrell Palmer, Esquire , Carlsbad, CA, Jan L. Westfall, Esquire , Menifee, CA, for Appellant Darren R. Carrington.

Richard L. Coffman, Esquire , The Coffman Law Firm, Mitchell A. Toups, Esquire , Weller Green Toups & Terrell, Beaumont, TX, Deepak Gupta, Esquire (Argued), Matthew W.H. Wessler, Esquire , Jonathan E. Taylor, Esquire , Gupta Wessler PLLC, Washington, DC, Jason C. Webster, Esquire , The Webster Law Firm, Houston, TX, for Appellants Raymond Armstrong; Nathaniel Newton, Jr.; Larry Brown; Kenneth Davis; Michael McGruder; Clifton L. Odom; George Teague; Drew Coleman; Dennis DeVaughn; Alvin Harper; Ernest Jones; Michael Kiselak; Jeremy Loyd; Gary Wayne Lewis; Lorenzo Lynch; Hurles Scales, Jr.; Gregory Evans; David Mims; Evan Ogelsby; Phillip E. Epps; Charles L. Haley, Sr.; Kevin Rey Smith; Darryl Gerard Lewis; Curtis Bernard Wilson; Kelvin Mack Edwards, Sr.; Dwayne Levels; Solomon Page; Tim McKyer; Larry Barnes; James Garth Jax; William B. Duff; Mary Hughes; Barbara Scheer; Willie T. Taylor.

Lance H. Lubel, Esquire , Adam Q. Voyles, Esquire , Lubel Voyles, Mickey L. Washington, Esquire , Houston, TX, Charles L. Becker, Esquire (Argued), Kline & Specter, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellants Liyongo Patrise Alexander; Charlie Anderson; Charles E. Arbuckle; Cassandra Bailey, as Representative of the Estate of Johnny Bailey; Ben Bronson; Curtis Ceaser, Jr.; Larry Centers; Darrell Colbert; Harry Colon; Christopher Crooms; Jerry W. Davis; Tim Denton; Michael Dumas; Corris Ervin; Doak Field; Baldwin Malcolm Frank; Derrick Frazier; Murray E. Garrett; Clyde P. Glosson; Roderick W. Harris; Wilmer K. Hicks, Jr.; Patrick Jackson; Gary Jones; Ryan McCoy; Jerry James Moses, Jr.; Anthony E. Newsom; Rance Olison; John Owens; Robert Pollard; Derrick Pope; Glenell Sanders: Thomas Sanders; Dwight A. Scales; Todd Scott; Frankie Smith; Jermaine Smith; Tyrone Smith; James A. Young, Sr.

Jared H. Beck, Esquire , Elizabeth Lee Beck, Esquire , Beck & Lee Trial Lawyers, Antonino G. Hernandez, Esquire , Miami, FL, Cullin A. O'Brien, Esquire (Argued), Fort Lauderdale, FL, Jeffrey J. Cairlanto, Esquire , Profy Promisloff & Ciarlanto, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellant Scott Gilchrist, individually and on behalf of the Estate of Carlton Chester "Cookie" Gilchrist.

Dwight P. Bostwick, Esquire , Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, Washington, DC, Cyril V. Smith, Esquire , Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, Baltimore, MD, Ramya Kasturi, Esquire , Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, New York, NY, for Appellants Jimmie H. Jones; Ricky Ray; Jesse Solomon.

Stuart D. Lurie, Esquire , Rosenthal Lurie, Exton, PA, Michael H. Rosenthal, Esquire , Rosenthal Lurie, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellant Andrew Stewart.

Steven F. Molo, Esquire (Argued), Thomas J. Wiegand, Esquire , Kaitlin R. O'Donnell, Esquire , MoloLamken LLP, New York, NY, Eric R. Nitz, Esquire , Rayiner I. Hashem, Esquire , Jeffrey M. Klein, Esquire , MoloLamken LLP, Washington, DC, William T. Hangley, Esquire , Michele D. Hangley, Esquire , Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, Philadelphia, PA, Linda S. Mullenix, Esquire , Austin, TX, for Appellants Alan Faneca; Roderick "Rock" Cartwright; Jeff Rohrer; Sean Considine.

David S. Coale, Esquire , Edward J. Dennis, Esquire , Kent D. Krabill, Esquire , Lynn Tillotson Pinker and Cox, Dallas, TX, for Appellant James Mayberry.

Before AMBRO, HARDIMAN, and NYGAARD, Circuit Judges.


OPINION OF THE COURT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

   I.  INTRODUCTION.....................................................420

  II.  BACKGROUND.......................................................421
       A.  Concussion Suits Are Brought Against the NFL.................421
       B.  The Parties...

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