Concussions just became an even bigger headache for the NFL.
Head injuries in the NFL are so prevalent and have been so poorly managed that insurance giant AIG has reportedly decided to no longer include them in its coverage of the league’s players. A source told the New York Post that the company has altered its policy to “exclude coverage for head injuries.” AIG (AIG) happens to be one of the insurance companies suing the NFL in an attempt to dodge payments of over $1 billion in relation to head injuries sustained by players, alleging that the league wasn’t honest about the risk factor.
A few years back AIG also stopped insuring youth football group Pop Warner, a league for kids between the ages of 5 and 18. However, it remains a sponsor of U.S. Football, a nonprofit that attempts to cut down on head injuries in the sport. The insurance company is one of the key backers for the organization’s Protection Tour, which teaches kids across America certain safety tips, including tackling techniques and proper helmet fit.
Some find this to be hypocritical. “My initial thought is that this is very misleading. It’s false advertising,” risk management expert Kimberly Archie told the Post. “You are putting your name on something you will not insure.”
The issue of concussions in the NFL came into the forefront with the release of the movie Concussion late last year. Fortune reported that just after the movie was released the league announced that it’s funding three concussion-preventing technologies.
AIG declined to comment for this story. The NFL could not immediately be reached for comment.
