Former athlete sues district, former coach over concussions

September 14, 2012, 1:00 pm by Adam Troxtell

A former Marble Falls football player is suing the school district and a former coach for a reported 30 concussions he suffered that left him disabled.

Blake Alan Ripple, 20, of Granite Shoals, is suing Marble Falls ISD and former football coach Cord Woerner, who still works with the district as director of special programs. As of Friday morning, the school district had not been notified of the lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, Woerner is accused of ignoring Ripple’s health concerns after he reportedly suffered a concussion during a game on Oct. 23, 2009. It says Ripple faced pressure from Woerner to continue playing despite his injuries and the former coach played him in games against medical advice. In the summer before the concussion, Ripple placed 10^th at a state-wide Linebacker Challenge.

The lawsuit also says Marble Falls is responsible because they did not properly train Woerner in dealing with medical situations. It references three doctors that tended to Ripple saying he suffered "anywhere from thirty to forty concussions and sub-concussive hits while playing football for his high school” that have rendered him "unable to live independently.”

District spokesman Bruce Peckover said no statement or response will be issued before Marble Falls ISD receives notification of the lawsuit.

For the full story, see Tuesday’s Highlander.