Jury selection begins Monday in Orange County Superior Court for a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Tyler Skaggs against the Los Angeles Angels. The family seeks at least $210 million in damages, but the Angels claim the amount sought is exaggerated to $1 billion. The trial is expected to last several weeks, with over 50 depositions and nearly 80 witnesses.
The lawsuit accuses the Angels of negligence in the death of Skaggs, a 27-year-old pitcher who died on July 1, 2019, from asphyxia after ingesting fentanyl, oxycodone, and alcohol. According to the Los Angeles Times, Eric Kay, the Angels’ former communications director, provided Skaggs with fentanyl-laced pills and is serving a 22-year federal prison sentence. The Skaggs family alleges that other Angels employees knew of Kay’s actions.
Attorneys for the Angels argue that Skaggs was a long-time drug user who acquired drugs from other sources. They aim to show that the fentanyl-laced pills were not a substantial cause of his death. Meanwhile, the Skaggs family maintains that Skaggs was not an addict, despite his drug use.
The trial will explore whether the Angels knew or should have known about Skaggs’ drug use. East Bay Times reports that the jury will decide the team’s liability, which could result in significant financial penalties.
The case has already impacted Major League Baseball, leading to changes in drug policies and increased scrutiny of team cultures. The trial is expected to conclude by Thanksgiving, as reported by the Orange County Register.
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