INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana jury has found the NCAA not liable for the death of a former Grand Valley State quarterback whose widow has accused the college sports federation of failing to warn college athletes about the risks of head injuries while playing football.
A Marion County jury on Wednesday agreed with the NCAA’s arguments that Cullen Finnerty’s death was not due to a concussion he suffered while playing for Michigan College or minor blows to the head during his playing days time, but on other health problems and addictions. ESPN reported.
Finnerty won three Division II national championships as a starting quarterback for Grand Valley State in the early 2000s. He died in May 2013 at the age of 30 after disappearing while on holiday with his wife’s family.
An autopsy found that chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE — a disease caused by concussions and repeated blows to the head — was a contributing factor to Finnerty’s death.
His widow, Jennifer Finnerty, sued the Indianapolis-based NCAA, arguing that the federation failed to adequately protect college athletes and warn them of the risks of head injuries playing football.
After a three-week trial that included testimony from outgoing NCAA President Mark Emmert and several medical experts, the jury concurred with the NCAA’s arguments and found that it was not responsible for Cullen Finnerty’s death.
The NCAA has maintained for years that it has no legal responsibility for the health and safety of collegiate athletes.
“The federation was not negligent and the lawsuit was not supported by the medical science that has linked Mr. Finnerty’s death to college football,” NCAA general counsel Scott Bearby said in a statement Wednesday. “We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Finnerty’s family and friends.”
A message was left Thursday by The Associated Press for Jennifer Finnerty’s attorney, Robert Dassow, seeking comment on the verdict.
In November a Los Angeles Jury dismissed a lawsuit Search for $55 million submitted by Alana Gee, widow of former USC linebacker Matthew Gee. She argued that the NCAA failed to protect him from repeated head injuries that led to his death.
The NCAA remains a defendant in dozens of similar cases that argue it should have some responsibility for the long-term health problems associated with head injuries suffered by athletes playing for their schools, ESPN reported.
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