NFL concussion claims hit $500 million in less than 2 years

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- More than $500 million in claims have been approved under the NFL's concussion settlement in less than two years, nearly a decade earlier than league officials estimated they would reach that amount.

Claims administrators in the settlement said Monday that $502 million had been approved. The original actuarial estimates from the NFL estimated a little more than $400 million would be paid out in the first decade.

Attorneys for the retired players adjusted their estimates on the total payout of expected claims earlier this month, saying the settlement would likely reach $1.4 billion-- almost a half billion more than the NFL originally estimated.

Almost 2,000 claims have been filed in less than two years. Hundreds more of the nearly 20,500 retired players signed up to be prequalified to file claims than were expected.