Timbers sued for negligence by former player

• by Soccer America , Feb 8, 2014

[MLS SPOTLIGHT] Englishman Eddie Johnson has sued the Portland Timbers in Oregon circuit court and others connected with the MLS club for negligence for $9.9 million, alleging that he was allowed to practice while he still had concussion symptoms.

The Oregonian reported that Sports Medicine Oregon, orthopedic surgeon Jonathan Greenleaf, Timbers head athletic trainer Nik Wald and psychologist James Bryan were also named as defendants along with Peregrine Sports LLC, the Timbers' ownership group.

The suit alleges that Johnson suffered a pair of season-ending concussions in 2011 but the club did not follow the return-to-play protocol following his second concussion, and he was still experiencing concussion symptoms when he returned for the 2012 preseason.

Johnson retired in April 2012 at the age of 27 after he claims he suffered a further head injury by being hit in the head with a ball during preseason. He was a Manchester United youth product who came to the United States in 2009 to play for the Austin Aztex (now Orlando City).