Ex-NRL star loses bid for $1m spinal injury payout

Ethan Lowe argued he should be able to claim insurance after suffering paralysis in a tackle. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

A former NRL player has lost a lawsuit against the game's insurer after arguing he was eligible to claim a $1 million payout for a spinal injury that forced him into retirement.

Ethan Lowe, a former North Queensland Cowboys and South Sydney Rabbitohs player, launched the civil action against the insurer in November 2023 after his rugby league career prematurely came to an end in 2020.

The then-29-year-old left the game as a player after a "crusher" tackle that damaged his spine.

Lowe argued in the Federal Court lawsuit that he should be able to claim as he was insured under the policy and suffered a "permanent hemiplegia" - or a complete paralysis down one side of the body - in the tackle.

Ethan Lowe (file image)
A judge found Ethan Lowe doesn't suffer complete or near complete paralysis on one side of the body.

He said symptoms of the condition included numbness, poor balance, weakness and tingling.

They meant he struggled with everyday tasks like walking the dog, tying shoelaces or holding a cup steady, he argued.

But in a judgment handed down on Friday, Justice Ian Jackman disagreed, saying it was "clear on the evidence that Mr Lowe does not suffer from complete or near complete loss of movement down one side of the body".

"(He) therefore does not suffer from hemiplegia in the proper medical sense of the word," the judge said in dismissing the lawsuit.

Even on the most "expansive" interpretation of the condition, Lowe's state did not satisfy the terminology of the condition despite the ex-player presenting to the court as an honest and reliable witness, he said.

While it was true that the ex-NRL player's strength and physical capacity had been substantially reduced by the 2020 injury, his condition did not constitute one of "severe weakness", Justice Jackman said.

Second-rower Lowe played 143 games for the two clubs between 2013 and 2020, as well as a single State of Origin game for Queensland in 2019.

The judge noted his career-ending injury was "undoubtedly" made worse by a previous spinal injury sustained in a match in 2016.

"(He) described an immediate tingling sensation throughout his body for a matter of seconds with a tingling numbness remaining in both hands," Justice Jackman said of the previous incident.

"(He) played throughout the rest of the game, which will not come as a surprise to those familiar with the nature and challenges (not to mention the satisfactions) of contact team sports."

Lowe previously praised a controversial crackdown on crusher tackles, which involve defending players pushing hard down on a ball-carrier's neck or spine.

Penalties for the dangerous technique were introduced by the NRL in 2020.

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store