A former high school quarterback is following in the steps of one-time pro and college players by suing a sports governing body—in this case, the Illinois High School Association—saying it didn’t do enough to protect him from concussions when he played and still doesn’t do enough to protect current players.
The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court late last month, is the first instance in which legal action has been taken for former high school players as a whole against a group responsible for prep sports in a state. Such litigation could snowball, as similar suits targeting associations in other states are planned.
The lead plaintiff is Daniel Bukal, who received multiple concussions at Notre Dame College Prep in Niles and a decade on, still suffers frequent migraines and some memory loss, according to the 51-page suit. It charges that the IHSA did not have concussion protocols in place, putting Mr. Bukal and other high school players at risk, and that those protocols remain deficient.
