NFL concussion lawsuit changes with Easterlings death

One of the 61 lawsuits filed against the NFL will change from personal injury to wrongful death following the suicide of former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling. Easterling, who played for the Falcons from 1972 to 1979, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound last Thursday.

Easterling and six other former NFL players were the first to file a lawsuit against the league for the alleged long-term damage they suffered from concussions. They accuse the NFL of intentional misconduct, carelessness, negligence, and concealment of information.

In the six months leading up to Easterling’s suicide, family and friends say his memory was beginning to deteriorate.