Gery Palmer

Gery Dean Palmer (born December 25, 1952) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts and Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Biography Early life

Gery Palmer was born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1950, in Weimar, Texas. He attended Center High School in Kansas City, Missouri. Although judged by the club as showing "excellent promise" at the position due to his size and quickness, he was deemed not yet ready for the NFL and was relegated to the Colts' "taxi squad" for the duration of the 1973 season. He returned home to Lawrence, Kansas, and took a job selling used cars. Palmer would start only one more game for the Chiefs during the 1975 season.

Palmer tried to latch on with the New Orleans Saints for the 1976 season but early in July he failed the team physical, effectively ending his NFL career.

Worker's compensation lawsuit

In 1981, Palmer attempted a novel and groundbreaking administrative filing, arguing that his career-ending injury suffered on the field with the Chiefs should be covered under worker's compensation law as a job-related occupational injury. The Missouri Labor and Industrial Relations Commission initially awarded Palmer $4,800 in worker's compensation benefits, with the Chiefs suing to overturn the ruling.

A Jackson County Circuit Court initially found in Palmer's favor, but this decision was subsequently reversed on appeal, with the Missouri Court of Appeals issuing its ruling in August, and the Missouri Supreme Court silently letting this decision stand on October 13, 1981.

Attorney Margaret Lineberry for the victorious Chiefs characterized the court's ruling as clear under Missouri's worker's compensation law, stating: "To be eligible, you have to not only prove you were injured on the job, but that it also was an accident. His injury was not the result of an accident."