The Prospectator: Judge Orders Riddell To Pay $3.1 Million In Damages

TALLAHASSEE, FL – A Colorado judge ruled against Riddell, the nation’s leading helmet maker, Saturday, ruling it did a poor job of warning players who wear its helmets about the risks of head trauma. The company must play a former high school football player millions of dollars.

Rhett Ridolfi, 22, a former football player for Trinidad High School, was paralyzed on his left side after a blow to the head during a practice in 2008. The incident happened while he wore a helmet made by Riddell. Ridolfi and his attorney say the company is to blame, and jurors agreed.

Courtesy, Riddell

“He has no judgment control; he has no concerns for safety for himself,” said Frank Azar, Ridolfi’s attorney. “He’s missing the parts of the brain we all have that controls those things.”

Riddell must pay Ridolfi $3.1 million, which is about 27 percent of the $11.5 million he won in total. Ridolfi’s case victory, however, is rather uncommon, as many players in the past were unsuccessful in such lawsuits. But this instance could be a sign of what’s to come for the NFL, which is dealing with a concussion lawsuit of its own. Several retired players are suing for damages.

“While disappointed in the jury’s decision not to fully exonerate Riddell, we are pleased the jury determined that Riddell’s helmet was not defective in any way,” Riddell said in a statement.

“We are confident,” the company continued, “that the jury would have reached a different conclusion had the court not erroneously excluded the testimony of our warnings experts.”

Florida A&M Athletic Trainer Akima Dima sides with the court ruling, saying concussion education is necessary for an athlete’s well being.

“It’s very important for athletes to be aware of how serious concussions are,” she said. “My athletes are aware of the severity. You ultimately can’t control what happens on the field. But just like many things, the more knowledge you have, the better off you’ll be.”

The NFL’s court case begins this summer. More than 4,000 retirees are suing the league because they say it knew how serious head trauma was but withheld the information. Riddell is also named in that lawsuit, and company officials say it should be excluded.

Riddell and other helmet manufacturers follow standards set by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment. Critics, however, say the organization’s standards are too laidback and need reforming.