The widow of former American football player, who was born in American Samoa, has brought a wrongful death suit against the National Football League and the manufacturer of football helmets.
Pio Sagapolutele stretches before an NFL game in 1997. Photo: AFP
Pio Sagapolutele was a defensive tackle who played seven seasons in the NFL for three professional teams.
He retired young from the game, in 1997, and died in 2009 at the age of 39 from a brain aneurysm.
His widow, Yvonne Sagapolutele, has asserted that before his death Pio had displayed various symptoms of brain injury, including mood swings and headaches.
The wrongful death complaint claims the NFL caused Pio Sagapolutele to develop a debilitating brain disease and that this caused extreme pain, suffering, and anguish and, ultimately, his premature death.
