Boogaard Lawsuit Could Target Rangers, Wild As Enablers
Jeff Klein at the New York Times reports that the lawsuit the family of Derek Boogaard filed against the NHLPA for squandering a chance at a possible financial claim by not filing a grievance against the Rangers for stopping Boogaard's salary payments to the family, alleges that the Blueshirts and Wild contributed to Boogaard’s death by repeatedly prescribing painkillers and other drugs, even after his addiction to those very kinds of drugs was known.
From the lawsuit... “At numerous times during his professional hockey career, to cope with injuries and pain and simply to be able to play or sleep after games, Derek Boogaard was prescribed or given a multitude of narcotics and sleeping pills by both the team doctors, physicians, trainers and dentists of the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild."
Klein adds that it's conceivable, too, that the Boogaard's lawyer may seek to file additional, broader lawsuits.
Michael Grange at Sportsnet has more.
...an ugly situation is getting a whole lot uglier.
...innocent until proven guilty in this country, but if everything we've read is true about the Rangers prescribing prescription drugs to a known addict, heads are going to roll. Can't imagine the Rangers organization is going to come out looking real good at the end of this.
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Its amazing to me that someone thinks they are entitled to continue receiving a salary of a person who has died - and not his wife and children (he had none), his parents! Some sort of death benefit - yes, but 3 years salary? and when we start talking about who knew what and who was an enabler, don't you think it would be good to know some more facts? well start with this (please pay close attention to the words "unprescribed" and "illegally" and "to prepare for a big night out" :http://espn.go.com/new-york/nhl/story/_/id/6793134/derek-boogaard-brother-charged-providing-drugs-player-death
this is nitpicking but the phrase "innocent until proven guilty" does not apply to civil cases, only criminal cases. the defendant in a civil suit is either liable or not liable. let's hope an out of court settlement is reached, no one will look good if this goes to trial.
This is crap! How is suing for money going to fix anything? The family looks bad for going after money after he is already gone. Prove its not about the money and donate it all to Dereks favorite charity like we did with the Tshirts. My 2 cents...
@DSpiel54 I'd say both were. Rangers doctors prescribing drugs to a known addict. Not good.
@TheNYRBlog Thats a Bullshit lawsuit,the only thing that's better than @thenyrangers super professional doctors is there there Lawyers #nyr
@BroskieNation I wasn't there, but you hate to hear Ranger doctors were prescribing meds to a know addict.
@TheNYRBlog Yeahh tru,its tough to judge w/o knowing all the facts.unless they eventually get access to doctor records,either way its a mess
@TheNYRBlog I can't believe the NHL doesn't have to honor contracts of deceased players. Yikes.
