What if your employer withheld information about your job, and limited the availability of safety equipment that could have protected you from injury? That's exactly what former football players are suing the NFL for. The players say the NFL knew that concussions could cause irreversible brain injuries as early as the 1920s.

In the lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court in Atlanta, the former NFL players allege the league knew for decades that the rough hits they take and the concussions some players received from playing football caused severe brain damage, but neglected to make the information public until last year.

The players say they suffered a large range of medical problems since they played football in the NFL including memory loss and headaches. They added that many other professional sports organizations have players sit out of the game or even the season if they suffer a concussion during a game, but the NFL would put players back in the same game they were injured in.

Many of the men filing the lawsuit played for NFL teams for over ten years and all of them live in Atlanta. Now, due to potential negligence and withholding information, these players have suffered brain damage and will have to deal with a range of health issues for the rest of their lives.

These personal injuries can have devastating effects on players, and they may be entitled to damages if it is determined the NFL was withholding crucial information that may have protected the players.

Source: Associated Press, "Ex-NFL players blame league for brain injuries," Greg Bluestein, Dec. 22, 2011