The suicide of Ray Easterling, a former safety for the Atlanta Falcons, has changed one of the 61 personal injury lawsuits against the NFL to a wrongful death case, his lawyer announced earlier this week.

Easterling played professional football in the 1970s and set the record for fewest points allowed in a season back in 1977. He was found dead due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Friends and family say his memory had begun to deteriorate greatly six months prior to his death.

More than 1,200 players have filed lawsuits against the NFL for what they say is intentional misconduct, carelessness, and concealment of information about the long-term damage from concussions. Easterling and seven other former players were the first to file a lawsuit.

The widow of a man who died during the 2001 anthrax attacks has been awarded an undisclosed amount in her wrongful death lawsuit against the United States government.

She claims the government acted negligently in securing the anthrax disease at a military laboratory. An investigation by the FBI concluded that an Army scientist was responsible for mailing anthrax-laced letters to senators and members of the media.

Her husband was the first of five people to die from the attacks. He was a tabloid photography editor and was exposed to the disease after a letter was sent to the publishing office of the National Enquirer.