Recently, three-time Super Bowl winner-turned-attorney Bart Oates became embroiled in a legal investigation. The former offensive lineman has been named in a court report tied to an alleged scheme involving the NFL's concussion settlement program.

During their investigation of questionable Parkinson's disease claims submitted through the NFL's settlement fund, court-appointed special masters identified Oates as one of the lawyers involved with the scheme.

“This was an organized scheme ... in which these law firms — and potentially others — circumvented the Settlement’s anti-fraud safeguards and laundered questionable Parkinson’s Disease diagnoses into payable claims,” the report stated.

The report was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. Following the investigation, five law firms were barred from handling future claims connected to the program.

Investigators alleged that attorneys at these firms helped former players obtain Parkinson's disease diagnoses through doctors who were not approved by the settlement process.

The finding came after auditors reviewed claims involving 98 retired NFL players. Of those claims, 57 had already been approved, resulting in over $95 million in payouts.

According to the report, attorneys involved received roughly $20 million in legal fees.

How Investigators Say the Settlement Process Was Manipulated

According to the report, former players were first sent to doctors outside the NFL's approved evaluation program. Allegedly, those doctors diagnosed them with Parkinson’s and prescribed them a drug that suppresses the symptoms. 

Players were then evaluated by doctors approved by the settlement program. The approved physicians had to rely on the player's documented medical history, including the prior diagnosis and prescription, when determining eligibility for compensation.

Oates was specifically mentioned in the report. The report stated that he promised players a Parkinson's disease diagnosis if they moved their cases to his firm. Oates did not immediately respond to a message left by The Associated Press at his law firm.

The NFL agreed to establish the fund in 2013, meant to last for 65 years, to resolve claims that the league failed to warn players about the long-term effects of neurological risks.

The uncapped fund has already awarded more than $1.6 billion through 2,100 approved claims.

“The NFL remains committed to ensuring that players and their families receive the benefits they deserve,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement to AP.

As the investigation connected to the settlement program remains active, the court officials pointed out that additional firms could continue to face scrutiny.

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Written by

Evince Das

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit