Arland Bruce suing CFL after concussion issues

Veteran CFL receiver Arland Bruce has launched a suit alleging the league failed to protect him from the adverse effects of a concussion.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, stems from a head injury that Bruce suffered Sept. 29, 2012, while playing for the B.C. Lions against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. The suit says Bruce was knocked unconscious for "several minutes" after being hit by Saskatchewan's Milt Collins.

The statement of claim, which was posted on theconcussionblog.com, contends the CFL failed to provide adequate care for Bruce and misrepresented the dangers that he faced in returning to action, even though — it says — the league was aware, or ought to have been aware, that repeat blows to the head can lead to long-term brain injury, including memory loss and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

The statement of claim — which names CFL commissioner Mark Cohon and all CFL teams, among others — contains allegations that have not been proven in court.

Bruce, 36, is seeking unspecified general, special and punitive damages. He resumed playing for B.C. in November 2012 and played for Montreal in 2013. He is currently a free agent.

"The CFL takes player health and safety very seriously, and [has] consistently taken steps to prevent, assess, and properly treat concussions, through our rules, player education and discipline, medical protocols and procedures," CFL spokesman Jamie Dykstra said via e-mail. "But this particular matter is in the hands of legal counsel and we have no comment at this time."