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Dade and Broward County Injury News

Possible Wrongful Death Lawsuit Resulting from UCF Football Player’s Death

Posted on Nov 10, 2008

On March 18, 2008, a workout for the University of Central Florida football team took a tragic turn. Ereck Plancher died shortly after completing the conditioning session.

UCF football staff called 911 after Plancher appeared to be going into cardiac arrest. UCF police Sgt. Elwood Furnas arrived on the scene just minutes after the phone call. Orange County Fire and Rescue also arrived less than 10 minutes after the frantic 911 call. However, Plancher was pronounced dead approximately 1 hour later.

There have been many questions as to what went wrong that would cause the healthy 19-year-old redshirt freshman wide receiver to collapse. The incident has led to a possible wrongful death lawsuit.

UCF coaches and team trainers were aware that Plancher suffered from an inherited condition, sickle-cell trait, which can restrict the flow of blood to vital parts of the body and could cause serious complications during high-intensity workouts. It did not appear that the coaching staff took precautions that had been recommended by a national athletic trainers’ organization just nine months before Plancher died.

Witnesses have stated that Plancher struggled severely at the end of the March 18th workout and coaches and trainers were slow to respond. Two football players who participated in the workout said that personnel did not help Plancher when he was clearly in distress during a sprint.

Just days after Plancher died, UCF head coach George O’Leary, described the conditioning session by saying, “It was not a taxing workout. It was probably one of the shortest agility things we’ve had.”

On July 17, 2008, the Orange County Medical Examiner released its final autopsy report stating that Plancher’s death was linked to sickle-cell trait, which “predisposed him to sickling of the red blood cells during periods of physical stress.” Two weeks after the report, the Planchers notified the university that they planned to file a lawsuit. The Planchers hope to prevent other families from facing the same pain they have endured.

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David M. Benenfeld, P.A.
7800 W. Oakland Park Boulevard
Building F
Suite 216
Sunrise, FL 33351
Phone: (954) 677-0155
Fax: (954) 677-0773

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