Former NHL defenseman Aaron Rome is suing the NHL and his insurance company after a hip injury ended his career back in 2014 when he was skating with the Dallas Stars. Rome required surgery for the injury, but he wasn’t able to recover enough to continue his NHL career. He then made a claim for disability benefits and was denied which has led to this lawsuit against both his insurance company (HCC Life Insurance Co.) as well as the league.
Via the Dallas News:
A copy of the NHL’s benefits guide included in the lawsuit says players will receive a lump sum if they suffer a career-ending disability, ranging from $200,000 to $1 million depending on their age. But it also says cumulative injuries do not count.
Before the 2014 injury, Rome had to have multiple surgeries and injured himself throwing a hip check.
The suit says the defendants have “mistreated an athlete who gave his heart and effort to professional hockey only to be betrayed by those who were supposed to help, protect, and provide benefits he undoubtedly deserves.”
The big point to note here is that cumulative injuries are not eligible to receive the NHL’s disability payment. Rome suffered a wealth of injuries during his career (thumb, foot, MCL and others), but it’s unclear if any of those played a role or contributed to the hip injury which ultimately closed his career.
It’ll be interesting to see how this case unfolds as it may set a new precedent with how the NHL defines its disability policies.
It’s unfortunate to see how Rome’s career ended, but Bruins fans may look at this as some form of karma after Rome knocked out Nathan Horton in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
