The judge in the case, Anita Brody, said in her ruling this week that paying insurers before the players was "reasonable" given the significant penalties for failing to do so. Hiring Garretson will help streamline the process and speed up payments to the players, she wrote in her ruling.
While he couldn't estimate the total payout to health insurers, Christopher Seeger, the lead counsel for the ex-players, said the discounts will save money for victims. "We are a few weeks away from finalizing discussions with the government and we will get substantial discounts on liens,'' he said. ''This is going to be a huge success for players."