The University of Maryland Settles with Family of Late Football Player Jordan McNair

On June 13, 2018, 19-year-old Jordan McNair passed away as a result of heatstroke during a school football team workout two weeks prior. He was a talented young athlete who played as an offensive lineman for the University of Maryland. Jordan’s family and friends remember his “genuine and endearing smile,” as well as his outstanding work ethic and competitive drive.

“Jordan showed up and became a participant in a program that brought in close to $40 million dollars a year to the University of Maryland yet he is and his family and his estate is limited in the compensation that they could seek under Maryland law and if it weren’t for some very creative lawyering and theories we would have been limited to $400,000 which is just an atrocity and we hope that this case causes the conversation continue to make sure that this system is equitable.” Hassan Murphy, Managing Partner at Murphy Falcon & Murphy, stated in a press conference.

Murphy Falcon & Murphy has secured a $3.5 million dollar settlement between University of Maryland and the family of Jordan McNair. Typically, in Maryland, tort laws in the state court limit payments to $400,000. The alternative is to file in federal court, where there is a much higher burden of proof. Over the course of two years Murphy Falcon & Murphy, Jordan’s parents Marty McNair & Tonya Wilson, and the University of Maryland worked tirelessly to obtain justice for Jordan through this settlement agreement and beyond. 

In the final step of the settlement process, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved the $3.5 million agreement between the University of Maryland and the family of Jordan McNair. As part of the settlement, Maryland announced a partnership with the Jordan McNair Foundation, to educate the public, athletic programs, and students on a national level about topics such as heat exhaustion, concussions, mental health and nutrition.

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