The family of Junior Seau, the NFL linebacker who committed suicide last year, sued the NFL Wednesday for wrongful death caused by long-term brain damage and concussions, and helmet makers Riddell for making their equipment "negligent in their design."  

Seau's ex-wife and four children are accusing the NFL of hiding the health risks associated with head trauma from Seau, who died at the age of 43.

They believe Seau's declining mental health and suicide was a result of  brain damage from his 20-year career span. Results of an NIH study of Seau's brain revealed abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the Associated Press reported earlier this month.

In the suit they claim the NFL “propagated the false myth that collisions of all kinds, including brutal and ferocious collisions, many of which lead to short-term and long-term neurological damage to players, are an acceptable, desired and natural consequence of the game.”

There are more than 4,000 retired NFL players and family members who have filed similar complaints in Federal court in Philadelphia. The NFL wants the cases to be dismissed because they claim their collective bargaining agreement with players outlines these health risks. 

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  (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)