Junior Seau (number 55) of the Chargers makes his move against the Pittsburgh Steelers in San Diego in 2008.
Seau lifts the Lamar Hunt AFC Championship trophy after the New England Patriots' 21-12 win over his former team, the San Diego Chargers, on January 20, 2008. Seau played the last four of his 20 seasons for the Patriots.
Seau sits on the Chargers' bench in a 1996 game.
Seau celebrates a defensive stop against the Kansas City Chiefs in 1996.
Seau sits with a towel over his head during a game at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego in 1996.
President George W. Bush presents Seau with the President's Volunteer Service Award In the East Room of the White House on May 25, 2005. The award was created to recognize Americans who have made a sustained effort to community service.
Seau gets ready for a game against the Buffalo Bills in San Diego in 2001.
Seau played 20 seasons in the NFL, and is widely considered among the best linebackers in the game's history.
Patriots Rodney Harrison and Seau celebrate a defensive stop against the Chargers during the 2008 AFC Championship Game.
Seau emotes during a Patriots-Cardinals matchup in 2008.
Seau takes the field during the 1999 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
- NEW: "Lawsuit will not bring back Junior. But it will send a message" to NFL, family says
- Junior Seau's family alleges his suicide was the result of a brain disease
- Disease came from violent hits he sustained as a NFL linebacker, suit states
- NFL can't be reached immediately for comment
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Former linebacker Junior Seau's family sued the National Football League on Wednesday, claiming his suicide last May was the result of a brain disease caused by violent hits he endured playing the game, the lawsuit said.
Last year, Seau, 43, committed suicide in his bedroom in Oceanside, California, with a gunshot wound to the chest, prompting speculation about whether repeated hits to his helmet over his 20-year pro career could have been a contributing factor.
Earlier this month, Seau was determined to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative brain disease that can follow multiple hits to the head, the National Institutes of Health said.
The lawsuit, filed in San Diego County Superior Court, accuses the NFL and helmet manufacturer Riddell Inc. of wrongful death but doesn't specify a figure for compensatory and punitive damages. The suit also alleges fraud, negligence and concealment.
The NFL and Riddell could not be immediately reached for comment.
"We were saddened to learn that Junior, a loving father and teammate, suffered from CTE," the family said in a statement.
"We know this lawsuit will not bring back Junior. But it will send a message that the NFL needs to care for its former players, acknowledge its decades of deception on the issue of head injuries and player safety, and make the game safer for future generations," the family said.
More than 1,500 former NFL players are suing the NFL, alleging the league hid the dangers of concussions from them.
The lawsuit was filed by Seau's children -- sons Tyler, Jake and Hunter and daughter Sydney, all of California -- and Gina Seau, who is the parent of Jake and Hunter, both of whom are minors. Junior Seau's estate also is a plaintiff.
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