NCAA Sickle Cell Settlement Results in Policy Change

The Lanier Law Firm recently announced that the family of former Rice University student-athlete Dale R. Lloyd II, who died following practice with the university's football team in September 2006, has settled a historic wrongful death lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The NCAA will now recommend for the first time that all collegiate student athletes be tested for the sickle cell trait. It is expected that this will help save the lives of college athletes for years to come.

The NCAA sickle cell settlement was negotiated by Gene Egdorf of The Lanier Law Firm. Egdorf served as lead counsel for the Lloyd family.

Dale R. Lloyd II was just 19 years old when he died, and medical examiners ruled that his death was caused by "acute excertional rhabdomyolysis secondary to sickle cell trait." Appearing in approximately 8-9 percent of the African-American population and found less commonly in all races, the sickle cell trait is something that neither Lloyd nor his family were aware he carried. And despite numerous reports of other athlete deaths attributed to it, the NCAA did not require testing for the sickle cell trait in 2006.

Resulting from the NCAA sickle cell settlement is a change in policy: The NCAA agreed to include in the NCAA website and the NCAA Sports Medical Handbook a recommendation that university athletic departments test all athletes for the sickle cell trait. Additionally, the NCAA agreed to insert a "Point of Emphasis" regarding sickle cell testing in their Football Rulebook. They will hold a press conference in order to highlight this policy change. An educational video for coaches, student-athletes and athletic coaches that is about the dangers of the sickle cell trait will be produced by the NCAA as well.

Another result of the NCAA sickle cell settlement is that the NCAA will make a $50,000 donation to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America and a $10,000 donation to the Dale R. Lloyd II Scholarship Fund.

In recognition of the Lloyd family, The Lanier Law Firm has contributed $20,000 to the scholarship fund.

About The Lanier Law Firm

The Lanier Law Firm has offices in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Houston and New York. Committed to addressing client concerns with effective and innovative solutions in courtrooms, the firm is composed of outstanding trial attorneys who have decades of experience handling cases involving asbestos exposure, business litigation, maritime law, product liability, pharmaceutical liability and sports law.