Jason Pierre-Paul loses finger in July 4 fireworks accident

Happy July 4th! And hey NFL players, please stay out of trouble! Why offer this sentiment today? Because NFL players tend to get into trouble on Independence Day.

Maybe it’s because the holiday is smack in the middle of the offseason so they feel they can indulge. Maybe it’s the summer heat mixed with a little alcohol. Maybe fireworks just get NFL players excited and ready for mischief.

According to Julia Marsh of the New York Post, the lawsuit was filed in a Florida court Wednesday and says Schefter “improperly obtained” Pierre-Paul’s medical chart, which shows the 27-year-old defensive end had his right index finger severed from his hand.

“This action arises out of ESPN reporter Schefter’s blatant disregard for the private and confidential nature of plaintiff’s medical records, all so Schefter could show the world that he had ‘supporting proof’ of a surgical procedure,” the suit says.

The first image of Jason Pierre-Paul’s unbandaged hand after his fireworks accident was released by the New York Daily News. Hey, we’re sorry if you already clicked on this post and are offended by images of fractional hands, but here is what Jason Pierre-Paul’s hand now looks like:

Now we know what Jason Pierre-Paul’s hand actually looks like. However many fingers are there, that is the amount of fingers he has. You have the answer to your question, Giants. We still have more questions:

We still don’t know exactly how much damage was done to Jason Pierre-Paul’s hand, but as the regular season approaches, details are starting to emerge, each one grimmer than the last. The latest comes from ESPN’s Dan Graziano, who reports that Pierre-Paul is missing more of his hand than the New York Giants were led to believe, and that he could end up missing the 2015 season.

According to the report, Pierre-Paul is missing part of one of his other fingers, in addition to the index finger originally amputated. He also suffered a fractured thumb and needed skin grafts for the July 4 fireworks accident. Pierre-Paul refused to be seen by the Giants’ medical staff while he recovered in the hospital. He continues to rehab on his own with private doctors and trainers.

HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is the law that governs, amongst other things, health and medical record confidentiality. A person must consent to have their medical information shared publicly. The NFL CBA contains a waiver of HIPAA rights, but that waiver only extends to a player’s team.

Well, someone had to send it to him. It’s unlikely Schefter himself was in the hospital snapping pictures of medical records, so someone else saw what was happening, took the pictures, and sent them out. Schefter may not have been the first person to receive the information, but he was the end point before it went public.

FIREWORKS FALLOUT: Oh boy. JPP may not have lost any fingers, but he could lose practice time and maybe even playing time during the regular season because of his fireworks injury. That could be a huge problem for his future with the Giants, who already pulled their low-ball offer to him (that he likely wasn’t going to sign anyway). The latest report says there’s “no chance” he gets a long-term deal this season.

ON PURPOSE: In his latest MMBM column, PFT Commenter wonders if maybe JPP had a motive for this fireworks injury.

Complete details of Pierre-Paul’s injuries have not been released, but according to Dan Graziano of ESPN, Pierre-Paul suffered burns to his palm and three fingers and could have nerve damage. Pierre-Paul reportedly did not lose any fingers in the accident. The Giants are scheduled to begin training camp on July 30.

Pierre-Paul’s situation is a little bit murky because of his contract status. The Giants applied the franchise tender, but he hasn’t signed it yet so currently he isn’t under contract. New York reportedly pulled a $60 million extension offer following the firework injury. Because the injury occurred off the field, New York could place Pierre-Paul on the non-football injury list, which would allow them to not pay him for games missed. According to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, that would mean $870,000 per game if Pierre-Paul plays under his $14.8 million franchise tender. The Giants could also rescind the tender entirely, which would make Pierre-Paul a free agent.