Attorney: NFL Wants Duerson Suit in Federal Court

An attorney for relatives of the late Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson says the NFL wants to have a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against the league moved from Cook County court to federal court.

Thomas Demetrio says he’ll fight the effort because he doesn’t want the case lumped in with lawsuits filed around the country by former NFL players. Demetrio says the NFL wants the cases consolidated because the separate cases add up to what he calls a “bureaucratic nightmare” for the league.

In the lawsuit, Duerson’s family alleges the NFL negligently caused the brain damage that led the 50-year-old Duerson to take his own life in February 2011 by not warning him of the negative impact of concussions.

The NFL did not return a call seeking comment.