Three Cleveland Browns players, including current starting left guard Joel Bitonio, had a long-pending worker’s compensation lawsuit go in their favor this week. A three-judge panel from the 8th District Court of Appeals upheld the claims of the players stemming from injuries suffered back in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Bitonio is the only current player. Linebacker Scott Solomon and offensive lineman John Greco were the other plaintiffs in the suit, which was initially filed in 2017.
The team argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed because the doctors from University Hospitals who treated the injuries were not on the team’s employee payroll. There was also a dispute about the timeliness of the filing based on a statute of limitations in an Ohio law that is no longer applicable.
The 8th District Court is the third reviewing panel that has ruled in favor of the players. The Browns can still appeal the decision. There is no indication if any monetary compensation is being sought by the players.