On May 13, 2011, 28-year-old National Hockey League (NHL) player Derek Boogaard – a left wing for the New York Rangers – died of an accidental drug and alcohol overdose. According to CBS New York, medical professionals posthumously diagnosed him with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition that results from consistent head trauma.
Now, a year after he passed away, Boogaard's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NHL, alleging that it should be held accountable for the hockey player's brain damage and prescription painkiller addiction.
The lawsuit states that the NHL should have been aware that men who play certain positions have an increased risk of brain damage and are susceptible to becoming addicted to drugs, and that it should have known that Boogaard was abusing painkillers and resisting necessary treatment.
"To distill this to one sentence, you take a young man, you subject him to trauma, you give him pills for that trauma, he becomes addicted to those pills, you promise to treat him for that addiction and you fail," said William Gibbs, the attorney representing the victim's family.
It is unclear at the time how much money in damages the family is seeking.
If one of your family members has died as a result of negligent behavior and you live in Missouri, consider finding a personal injury lawyer who will work hard on your behalf. These experienced and locally based professionals can assess your claim, try your case in court and help you recover damages to which you may be entitled.