Tyler Skaggs' Family Sues Los Angeles Angels for Wrongful Death Almost 2 Years After His Death

The family of former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs is suing the team and two former employees and wrongful death, the Los Angeles Times reported. Skaggs died of an overdose in a hotel room in Texas nearly two years ago. His family alleged an Angles employee was supplying drugs to Skaggs and other players.

"The Angels owed Tyler Skaggs a duty to provide a safe place to work and play baseball," the lawsuit said, per KNX 1070. "The Angels breached their duty when they allowed Kay, a drug addict, complete access to Tyler. The Angels also breached their duty when they allowed Kay to provide Tyler with dangerous illegal drugs. The Angels should have known Kay was dealing drugs to players. Tyler died as a result of the Angels' breach of their duties."

Former communications director Eric Kay and vice president communications Tim Mead are named in the lawsuit. Per ESPN, Kay told authorities he regularly purchased drugs for Skaggs and Mead. The lawsuit states that the Angels were negligent in allowing Kay to have access to players as he's known for being a longtime opioid abuser. Kay left the Angels in late 2019 and is facing federal charges of distributing fentanyl and is scheduled for an August trial in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas.'

"As you might expect, the decision to file these complaints has been a very difficult one for Tyler's parents and his wife," Rusty Hardin, the Skaggs family's attorney, said in a statement. "Nothing will ease the pain and heartache of losing their only child and, for Carli, her husband and soulmate. But they want to get to the bottom of the circumstances surrounding Tyler's tragic, untimely and completely avoidable death, and to hold the individuals and entities — including the Angels — accountable for the actions that contributed to it.

"As the federal grand jury indictment made plainly and painfully clear, were it not for the fentanyl in the counterfeit pill provided by Angels employee Eric Kay, Tyler would be alive today. And if the Angels had done a better job of supervising Eric Kay, Tyler would be alive today." Skaggs, 27, pitched for the Angels in 2014 and then from 2016-2019. He missed the entire 2015 season due to Tommy John surgery. Before joining the Angels, Skaggs spent two years with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his career, Skaggs posted a 28-38 record with a 4.41 ERA and 476 strikeouts.