Citadel/ex-player reconcile

[blackfordpu]

Good news for the school and the program. It is never good to have something like this hanging over the program.

Citadel, former linebacker heal 20-year rift

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Citadel and former linebacker Marc Buoniconti, who was paralyzed making a tackle during a game more than 20 years ago, have ended a long-standing rift.

The state military college's board of visitors voted Wednesday to retire Buoniconti's No. 59 jersey and invited him to campus during Corps Day weekend March 18.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2332058

[MarkCCU]

HOORAY! Glad to see things are settling down..20 years after the fact

[Mr. C]

Buoniconti is the son of NFL middle linebacking great Nick Buoniconti. His dad sued the school over the injury (as you would expect) and the folks down in Charleston showed their stubborness in the way they handled this. They don't always think very clearly at The Citadel when it comes to taking care of emotional issues. They've created a lot of ill will over the years with some of their decisions, like Buoniconti, Charlie Taeffe's firing, Shanon Faulkner etc.

[blackfordpu]

Injury in football is an inherent risk. How can one sue when injured while playing. Every player on the field takes the same risk. Did he end up winning his case?

[UAalum72]

Injury in football is an inherent risk. How can one sue when injured while playing. Every player on the field takes the same risk. Did he end up winning his case?
http://www.thebuonicontifund.com/x1000.xml

The Citadel had a $1 million catastrophic coverage policy but turned the Buonocontis down.

In the suit, the family contended Marc should not have been in the ETSU game because of a previous neck injury. The suit also contended he had a pre-existing condition in his spine that he was never warned about by team officials.
Perhaps the most serious charge was that Buoniconti had been fitted by Clawson and Wallace with equipment - a rubber neck collar and a strap from his facemask to his shoulder pads that prevented his neck from snapping back - that contributed to his injury by forcing his head forward at impact.

During the trial, the Buonocontis were offered, and accepted an $800,000 settlement, but the jury was not informed. After a 5-week trial, the jury (which was heard screaming at each other) took only 3 hours to award the Buonocontis nothing.

[blackfordpu]

http://www.thebuonicontifund.com/x1000.xml

The Citadel had a $1 million catastrophic coverage policy but turned the Buonocontis down.

In the suit, the family contended Marc should not have been in the ETSU game because of a previous neck injury. The suit also contended he had a pre-existing condition in his spine that he was never warned about by team officials.
Perhaps the most serious charge was that Buoniconti had been fitted by Clawson and Wallace with equipment - a rubber neck collar and a strap from his facemask to his shoulder pads that prevented his neck from snapping back - that contributed to his injury by forcing his head forward at impact.

During the trial, the Buonocontis were offered, and accepted an $800,000 settlement, but the jury was not informed. After a 5-week trial, the jury (which was heard screaming at each other) took only 3 hours to award the Buonocontis nothing.

Sounds complicated. How could they not file for a mistrial?

[*****]

: smh :

[walliver]

Sounds complicated. How could they not file for a mistrial?

It looks like the Citadel and their trainer (both agents of the State of South Carolina and protected by sovereign immunity) settled, but the team doctor, who most likely is not a state employe and was probably being sued for millions of dollars went to trial. Since the settlement with the school and its trainer does not prove or disprove medical negligence by the physician, this information was not made available to the jury.

[MarkCCU]

Buoniconti is the son of NFL middle linebacking great Nick Buoniconti. His dad sued the school over the injury (as you would expect) and the folks down in Charleston showed their stubborness in the way they handled this. They don't always think very clearly at The Citadel when it comes to taking care of emotional issues. They've created a lot of ill will over the years with some of their decisions, like Buoniconti, Charlie Taeffe's firing, Shanon Faulkner etc.


It would've been different if Shannon was serious about being in the Citadel. That and she broke a tradition, which in the south is taken seriously. But to quit 3, 4 days into Hell Week? She also sued her high school football team b/c they wouldn't let her play, she quit that soon after money and time was wasted and she was allowed to play.

[walliver]

It would've been different if Shannon was serious about being in the Citadel

Basically she let herself go and was incredibily out of shape when she arrived. It seemed as if she and her lawyers were more interested in making the Citadel co-ed instead of Faulkner actually obtaining a Citadel education.

On the other hand, the Citadel shouldn't have run up big legal bills from a fight they had no chance of winning.