Skaggs' family sues Angels, 2 employees for negligence

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The family of former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs filed lawsuits Tuesday in Texas and California charging the team and two former employees with negligence in his drug-related death two years ago.

The lawsuits — filed by Skaggs' parents in Texas and his wife in California — name the Angels organization as well as former Los Angeles communications directors Tim Mead and Eric Kay as defendants. Neither complaint specified how much money the family is seeking.

Skaggs, 27, was found dead in his suburban Dallas hotel room on July 1, 2019, before the start of what was supposed to be a four-game series against the Texas Rangers.

Kay was indicted by a federal grand jury in October on drug charges for allegedly providing Skaggs with the drugs that caused his overdose death.

Kay was charged with drug distribution and drug conspiracy in Skaggs’ overdose death, according to the indictment in Fort Worth, Texas. The charges carry a maximum of a life sentence and 20 years in prison, respectively. His trial is set to begin Aug. 16.

A coroner’s report said Skaggs had choked to death on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the drugs fentanyl and oxycodone in his system, which Kay was accused of providing.

Kay was the Angels’ director of communications, and he served as their public relations contact on many road trips. He was placed on leave shortly after Skaggs’ death, and he never returned to the team.

Mead was Kay's boss, and the lawsuits allege that Mead knew about Kay's issues with drug addiction, including that he was distributing drugs to players.

“In spite of this knowledge, the Angels continued to allow Kay to have unrestricted access to the players and even permitted him to accompany the team when it traveled for away games,” the suit...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Skaggs-family-sues-Angels-2-employees-for-16282008.php