kearly wrote:I am not a lawyer- but just as an average joe- it bugs me that suicide could be grounds for a wrongful death suit. If he had died from paralysis, or stroke or something non-voluntary, different story. But this suit- it would be a little like a parent suing some emo band their kid liked because their teenager committed suicide. Brain function is something that science is just scratching the surface on with it's understanding. We can't be sure how much of his desire for suicide was fueled by head trauma and how much was routine depression that comes with retirement and life changes. And in the end, it all boils down to choices made by Seau, both by playing in the league and taking his own life. Not to be insensitive to Seau's family but I hope they lose that suit. It would set a really dark precedent for the league.
I actually agree with you 100% in principal here, but I just can't say that his suicide was definitely voluntary. We don't know nearly enough about his brain problems to know that he actually had a choice here. I'm not saying I agree with the lawsuit, but I just am clarifying that in this type of instance, the suicide has the possibility of not being as "voluntary" as one might believe. There are too many questions that cannot be answered..which is why I also believe the lawsuit should go away, but the NFL may settle (which is what the lawyers undoubtedly are counting on) just to keep away the bad publicity.
Death is a strange thing, we all react differently. Some people see death as an opportunity to expand their finances, others find it a time to grieve. Too often, family members look to their relatives and think "I can't wait til that person dies so I can get some stuff". It's kind of sad when you think about it.