Los Angeles — Attorneys requested a jury Monday to award $55 million to the widow of a former USC soccer participant in a landmark case accusing the NCAA of failing to guard him from repetitive head trauma that led to his dying.
Matthew Gee, a hard-hitting linebacker who was on the 1990 Rose Bowl-winning squad, endured numerous blows that brought about everlasting mind injury and led to cocaine and alcohol abuse that finally killed him at age 49, his attorneys mentioned in closing arguments. His widow, Alana Gee, was within the courtroom Monday.
Within the first case of its variety to go to a jury, the attorneys advised Los Angeles Superior Courtroom jurors that the NCAA, the governing physique of faculty athletics within the U.S., had recognized concerning the results of head trauma in sports activities for the reason that Thirties however failed for many years to inform gamers of the dangers or put guidelines in place to guard gamers.
"You can't convey Matt again however you'll be able to say what the NCAA did to him was mistaken," lawyer Invoice Horton mentioned. "Put this on the NCAA's radar. ... That is the one approach they'll ever hear."
A lawyer for the NCAA mentioned Gee skilled a sudden cardiac dying introduced on by long-standing hypertension and acute cocaine toxicity. He mentioned a raft of Gee's different severe well being issues, which he mentioned weren't associated to soccer.
"The NCAA had nothing to do with the issues that tragically took Mr. Gee's life," lawyer Will Stute mentioned.
The problem of concussions in sports activities, and soccer particularly, has been entrance and middle in recent times as analysis has found extra concerning the long-term results of repeated head trauma, corresponding to issues starting from complications to despair and, typically, early onset Parkinson's or Alzheimer's illness.
The monthlong trial is considered one of lots of of wrongful dying and private damage lawsuits introduced by school soccer gamers towards the NCAA up to now decade.
However Gee's is just the second case to go to trial with allegations that hits to the top led to power traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative mind illness. A 2018 case in Texas settled a number of days into the trial.
Gee was considered one of 5 linebackers on the 1989 Trojans squad who died earlier than turning 50. As with teammate and NFL star Junior Seau, who killed himself in 2012, Gee's mind was examined posthumously at Boston College's Persistent Traumatic Encephalopathy Middle and located to have CTE.
CTE is related to reminiscence loss, despair and progressive dementia. It could possibly solely be recognized after dying.
Boston College has discovered CTE within the brains of 110 of 111 deceased former NFL gamers and 48 of 53 former school gamers, in accordance with a examine within the Journal of the American Medical Affiliation.
Corridor of Famers recognized after dying embody Ken Stabler and Mike Webster.
In his senior 12 months, Gee was workforce captain and led USC in tackles, pressured fumbles and fumble recoveries.
Gee married Alana, his school sweetheart, after graduating in 1992, and so they lived a traditional life for 20 years. They raised three youngsters as he ran a profitable insurance coverage firm in Southern California.
However issues took a flip round 2013, when he started to lose management of his feelings, in accordance with the lawsuit. He grew to become offended, confused and depressed. He drank closely. He advised a health care provider he forgot complete days.
Attorneys for Gee mentioned CTE, which is present in athletes and army veterans who suffered repetitive mind accidents, was an oblique explanation for dying as a result of head trauma has been proven to advertise substance abuse.
Stute mentioned the wrongful dying case was about what brought about Gee's dying and never whether or not CTE exists, which he mentioned remains to be a speculation.
After years of denials, the NFL acknowledged in 2016 that BU's analysis confirmed a hyperlink between soccer and CTE. The league agreed to settle head damage instances protecting 20,000 retired gamers offering as much as $4 million for a dying involving CTE. It is anticipated to exceed $1.4 billion in payouts over 65 years for six qualifying circumstances.
In 2016, the NCAA agreed to settle a class-action concussion lawsuit, paying $70 million to watch former school athletes' medical circumstances, $5 million towards medical analysis, and funds of as much as $5,000 towards particular person gamers claiming accidents.
Gee by no means reported having a concussion and he mentioned in an utility to play with the Raiders after graduating that he had by no means been knocked unconscious, Stute mentioned.
He mentioned the NCAA was being positioned able of getting to defend itself from allegations it was unaware of on the time, noting that CTE had not been found till 2005. He mentioned nothing the NCAA might have achieved would have stored Gee alive at present.
"You'll be able to't maintain the NCAA answerable for one thing 40 years later that no one ever reported," Stute mentioned. "The plaintiffs need you in a time journey machine. We do not have one ... on the NCAA. It isn't truthful."
A former NFL official who reviewed all out there tapes of Gee's USC video games mentioned he was tackled in a protected method with out utilizing his head, and there have been no indicators of head accidents, Stute mentioned.
Horton countered that on the time Gee performed, the NCAA did not share what it knew about medical dangers of repetitive head accidents, did not forestall gamers from returning to the sphere after accidents, and did not restrict the variety of practices regardless of suggestions to take action, Horton mentioned.
As he confirmed images of Gee at his wedding ceremony and holding his younger daughter in a pink tutu, Horton choked up, noting that Tuesday would have been Gee's birthday.
"Ship a verdict ... so he did not die for nothing," Horton mentioned. "So each 18-year-old child who performs soccer will know the hazards of the sport they're taking part in."