La Angels Should Be Held Responsible For Skaggs’ Overdose Death, Lawyer Says

The Los Angeles Angels should beryllium held responsible for nan supplier overdose decease of 1 of its prima pitchers because nan squad grounded to travel its ain supplier policies and fto an addicted and supplier dealing worker enactment connected nan occupation and person entree to nan players, a lawyer for nan pitcher’s family said connected Tuesday.

The allegations came successful opening statements of nan long-awaited civilian proceedings successful a wrongful decease suit revenge by nan woman and parents of Tyler Skaggs. The family contends that nan MLB squad should beryllium held responsible for nan 27-year-old pitcher’s decease aft its connection director, Eric Kay, was convicted of providing nan fentanyl-tainted pill that led to Skaggs’ fatal overdose connected a squad travel to Texas successful 2019.

Plaintiffs’ lawyer Shawn Holley told jurors that Angels officials knew Kay was addicted to opioids and showing up precocious to work, and providing narcotics to astatine slightest six players including Skaggs. Holley said nan Angels many times grounded to travel nan team’s supplier policies erstwhile it came to Kay, moreover assigning him to travel nan squad to Texas soon aft he had gone done rehab, but afloat enforced nan rules erstwhile it came to lower-level labor who had stadium jobs.

“They buried their heads successful nan soil complete and complete and complete again, and arsenic a consequence Tyler Skaggs is dead,” Holley told jurors.

Lawyers for nan Angels, who will reside nan assemblage later connected Tuesday, contend that contempt Kay’s conviction, nan autopsy results showed Skaggs had besides been drinking and taking oxycodone erstwhile he died, and was snorting painkillers alternatively of taking them arsenic they would beryllium prescribed. The squad besides argues that Skaggs and Kay were disconnected work and nan player’s actions successful nan privateness of his edifice room could not person been prevented by nan Angels.

Skaggs’ woman and mother were successful tribunal for opening statements, arsenic were Angels proprietor Arte Moreno, nan team’s president John Carpino, lawyers and news reporters.

Attorneys perceive connected Tuesday arsenic judge H Shaina Colover speaks earlier opening statements successful nan proceedings for nan wrongful decease suit accusing nan Los Angeles Angels shot squad of being responsible for nan 2019 supplier overdose decease of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

The civilian lawsuit successful a Santa Ana courtroom – which seeks hundreds of millions of dollars – comes much than six years aft Skaggs was recovered dormant successful nan suburban Dallas edifice room wherever he was staying arsenic nan Angels were expected to unfastened a four-game bid against nan Texas Rangers. A coroner’s study says Skaggs choked to decease connected his vomit and that a toxic operation of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone was recovered successful his system.

Kay was convicted successful 2022 of providing Skaggs pinch an oxycodone pill laced pinch fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years successful national prison. His national criminal proceedings successful Texas included grounds from 5 MLB players who said they received oxycodone from Kay astatine various times from 2017 to 2019, nan years he was accused of obtaining pills and giving them to Angels players.

Holley told jurors that Angels players were buying narcotics from Kay astatine nan clubhouse, successful nan locker room and successful nan parking batch of nan team’s Southern California stadium to thief them play done nan pain. In 2019, Kay was hospitalized owed to his ain supplier usage and his woman recovered matter messages connected his telephone indicating he had been providing narcotics to nan players, which she shared pinch Angels officials, Holley said.

“Eric regularly supplied nan narcotics they needed to execute and they trusted him,” Holley said. “It was rampant, retired of power and incredibly dangerous.”

Plaintiffs are seeking $118m for Skaggs’ mislaid net arsenic good arsenic compensation for nan family’s suffering and punitive damages against nan team, Holley said.

After Skaggs’ death, nan MLB reached a woody pinch nan players relation to commencement testing for opioids and to mention those who trial affirmative to nan curen board. The United States has been grappling pinch a activity of overdose deaths, galore owed to nan potency of fentanyl, among young people, pinch overdoses reported arsenic nan starring origin of decease for group 18-44 years aged successful 2024, according to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Skaggs had been a regular successful nan Angels’ starting rotation since precocious 2016, erstwhile nan left-hander returned from Tommy John surgery. He struggled pinch injuries many times during that time.

Before pitching for nan Angels, Skaggs played for nan Arizona Diamondbacks.

The proceedings is expected to return weeks and could see grounds from players including Angels outfielder Mike Trout and nan team’s erstwhile pitcher, Wade Miley, who presently plays for nan Cincinnati Reds.