NEWARK, N.J. (Legal Newsline) – A former professional ice hockey player alleges the extent of a 1993 brain injury was concealed from him by his former team and its manager and doctors.
Michael Peluso filed a complaint on Jan. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against New Jersey Devils LLC, Meadowlanders Inc., Dr. Barry Fisher, Dr. Marvin Ruderman, Dr. Len Jaffe, and Lou Lamoriello alleging fraud, civil conspiracy and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff was punched in the head and knocked unconscious while playing for the New Jersey Devils against Quebec Nordiques in Canada in 1993. He alleges after the incident, he suffered from memory loss and was hospitalized for two days. He alleges Lamoriello "forced" him to come back to work immediately.
"Defendants conspired to and fraudulently concealed from plaintiff defendants’ knowledge of his injury and the substantial certainty of future injury by continuing his career as an NHL enforcer," the suit states.
The plaintiff alleges he has had nine grand mal seizures and has early onset dementia at the age of 53 because the team defendant and medical staff allowed him to play and exposed him to further injury.
The plaintiff holds New Jersey Devils LLC, et al. responsible because he alleges his injuries were the probable result of the defendants' failure to exercise the slightest of care or diligence.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and other relief the court may deem just. He is represented by James E. Cecchi and Lindsey H. Taylor and Carella, Byrne, Cecchi, Olstein, Brody & Agnello PC in Roseland, New Jersey; and by Howard Silber of Law Offices of Howard Silber in Westlake Village, California.
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey case number 2:19-cv-00072-SDW-LDW