Former MLB star Tyler Skaggs’s wife, Carli Skaggs, is suing the Los Angeles Angels and several employees of the team for wrongful death claiming they provided the pitcher with high-powered drugs with ultimately killed him.
According to legal documents, obtained by The Blast, Tyler’s family says he was found dead in a Texas hotel room while traveling with the team, and his “death was caused by Eric Kay, the Angels’ Director of Communications. The lawsuit points to an “extensive federal investigation” which concluded with Kay being charged with “knowingly and intentionally distributing a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl…and the use of said substance resulted in the death and serious bodily injury of (Tyler Skaggs).”It continued, “The criminal complaint details that Kay provided oxycodone pills to Tyler and that Kay would “distribute these pills to (Tyler Skaggs) and others in their place of employment and while they were working.”
In the lawsuit, Tyler’s wife says the tragedy of his death was made worse by the revelation that it could have been avoided. “Without question, the Angels knew or should have known that Kay was supplying illicit drugs to not only Tyler but at least five other Angels’ players. The employee in question had a long history of drug abuse and had recently overdosed in the months prior to the incident. He had access to the players and the team should have known the players were “trying to play through the pains and injuries associated with the long baseball season.” Adding, “This was a fatal mistake.”
‘A Perfect Storm’
In the end, the DEA testified that the evidence showed that Kay had provided the oxycodone pill that Tyler took that night he died, the pill was laced with fentanyl, which experts have concluded is what caused his death.
“Baseball teams, like the Angels, are fully aware of the rigors of a 162-game schedule and are aware that players are at risk of turning to medication to assist with pain management. The Angels, with their toxic culture, created a perfect storm,” the lawsuit states. As we reported, Tyler was found dead in his hotel room while the team was in Texas on a road trip. According to reports, an employee found the pitcher after he didn’t report for that day’s game. The pitcher’s family puts his death squarely on the team and its employees and is suing for unspecified damages.
‘Dangerous’ Conditions Ultimately Cost Him His Life
According to the lawsuit, the family says, “The Angels made the choice to continue to employ Eric Kay to work with the players on a daily basis. The Angels granted him unfettered access to the players even though they knew or should have known that he was trafficking in illicit drugs. These conditions were outrageously dangerous and ultimately cost Tyler his life.”
