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Angels Trial: Did Team Enable Pitcher's Death?
16 Dec
Summary
- Jury heard closing arguments in a civil suit against the Angels over Tyler Skaggs' death.
- Skaggs' family claims the team was negligent in handling ex-director Eric Kay's drug abuse.
- Angels' defense argued Skaggs was responsible for his own drug use and distribution.
Closing arguments have concluded in a wrongful death civil suit filed by pitcher Tyler Skaggs' family against the Los Angeles Angels. The family's legal team argued the team exhibited negligence by failing to address former communications director Eric Kay's documented drug abuse, contrary to their own policies. They presented evidence suggesting the Angels downplayed Kay's issues and continued to support him.
The Angels' defense, however, focused on Skaggs' personal drug use and distribution, presenting him as the central figure in the clubhouse's opiate abuse. They contended Skaggs, not Kay, was the primary driver, and that the team handled Kay's situation appropriately. This argument sought to shift the responsibility entirely onto the deceased pitcher.
Jurors will now weigh the evidence, with a lower burden of proof than in criminal cases. The potential damages are substantial, encompassing economic losses, non-economic damages like loss of love, and punitive damages. The jury's decision on comparative fault could assign significant percentages of responsibility, impacting the final monetary award.
