Arizona workers’ compensation lawyer Bob Wisniewski, founder of the Law Offices of Robert E. Wisniewski, was recently invited to attend the team meeting of the Arizona Cardinal football players by the local NFL Players Association (NFLPA) Panel Counsel to advise the Cardinal players about their workers’ compensation rights.
The meeting, which took place on Monday, September 23, was held at the Cardinal’s training facility in Tempe, Arizona. At least once a year, representatives of the union, a panel of workers’ compensation lawyers, and at least 60 to 70 players meet so that the players fully understand what their responsibility is following a football injury.
Bob Wisniewski was invited by the NFLPA, the trade union that represents both present and past NFL players.
The NFLPA has been around for decades, and its purpose is to recognize bargaining unit under labor law for the NFL players currently playing. It also helps secure benefits for past and present players such as health insurance, pensions, counseling, financial planning assistance, education benefits, etc.
In every state with an NFL team, the NFLPA vets and selects a lawyer or two as the Panel Counsel for the players on that particular team. Bob was selected several years ago as the Panel Counsel for the Arizona Cardinals.
Since then, he has filed workers’ compensation claims for 50+ NFL players. Bob has also helped secure medical benefits for past players after they’re done playing and when they may need certain surgeries many years later.
Bob has also litigated several cases on behalf of the players. One case involved a player who suffered from lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. We were able to closely relate this trauma to playing professional football, which allowed him to receive medical care and prescription drugs that will likely be a lifetime requirement.
Bob has also litigated other cases to secure appropriate supportive medical benefits for the players so that they have lifetime medical maintenance benefits.
The NFL players have the same workers’ compensation rights in Arizona as everyone else.