World Rugby, UK bodies fail to block concussion lawsuits in High Court
London’s High Court has allowed more than 500 former rugby players’ concussion lawsuits to proceed, rejecting governing bodies’ bid to have the claims dismissed
London's High Court has ruled that lawsuits brought by more than 500 former rugby union and rugby league players over neurological injuries can proceed, rejecting attempts by the sport's governing bodies to have the claims struck out.
Senior Master Jeremy Cook ruled that the cases can continue, subject to the production of outstanding medical documents.
He also found that the individual claimants were “blameless” for the disclosure failures that had threatened their cases.
The litigation involves hundreds of former players, including England's 2003 World Cup winners Steve Thompson and Phil Vickery.
Almost 800 former rugby union players are suing World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union, while more than 300 former rugby league players are pursuing claims against the Rugby Football League and the British Amateur Rugby League Association.
The former players allege that repeated concussions and sub-concussive head impacts caused serious long-term neurological conditions and that rugby's governing bodies failed to adequately protect them from those risks.
The alleged conditions include early-onset dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Parkinson's disease and motor neurone disease.
The governing bodies had sought to end more than 500 of the claims, arguing that the players' former legal representatives repeatedly failed to provide required medical records and other documents.
The dispute over disclosure has delayed the litigation for years.
The defendants including World Rugby, the RFU, WRU, Rugby Football League and British Amateur Rugby League Association deny liability.
World Rugby has argued that serious injuries are an inherent risk of rugby and disputes that the governing bodies owed the claimed duty of care concerning long-term neurological conditions.
The High Court's decision does not determine whether the governing bodies are ultimately liable for the players' injuries.
Instead, it allows the underlying litigation to move forward while the remaining medical evidence is submitted and the claims continue through the pre-trial process.
