Angels Reach Confidential Settlement in Tyler Skaggs Wrongful‑Death Case

On Friday, the family of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs reached a confidential settlement with the MLB club, ending a two‑month civil trial that began in October.

Settlement Announcement

The agreement was announced on the fourth day of jury deliberations. Details of the settlement were not released, but the deal brings the case to a close. Judge H. Shaina Colover dismissed the jurors late Friday morning and thanked them for their service.

Judge’s Remarks

Colover told the panel, “That is why this matter was able to be resolved today,” after the agreement was announced. Her statement highlighted the judge’s role in the final phase of the proceedings.

Family’s Statement

In a statement following the settlement, the Skaggs family said they can now focus on healing. “The Skaggs family has reached a confidential settlement with Angels Baseball that brings to a close a difficult six‑year process, allowing our families to focus on healing,” the family said. They added, “We are deeply grateful to the members of this jury, and to our legal team.”

Closing Arguments

Attorneys for Skaggs’ family and the Angels delivered closing arguments early this week. The decision was handed to jurors after about two months of hearing evidence connected to Skaggs’ death on July 1, 2019.

Coroner’s Findings

A coroner’s report said Skaggs choked to death on his vomit. The report also noted a toxic mix of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone in his system.

Eric Kay’s Role

A central figure in the trial was former public relations staffer Eric Kay and his struggles with drug addiction. Attorneys for the family claimed his habit of dispensing pills to players on the team was the primary cause of Skaggs’ demise.

Family’s Accusations

“We believe Tyler Skaggs should be alive today,” said attorney Daniel Dutko, who represents the parents and widow of Skaggs. Dutko said, “We wanted the truth to come out. The same cannot be said of the Angels.”

Allegations of Gaslighting

Dutko accused team officials of gaslighting the jury. He argued that even after repeated problems and drug rehab stints for Kay, the team ignored what he was doing. Dutko further contended that team officials tried to make the case that they worked with Major League Baseball on Kay’s drug issues.

MLB’s Involvement

In the opening statement, the family said the team ignored obvious signs of on‑the‑job drug abuse by a staffer. “Major League Baseball never knew anything about Eric Kay,” the attorney said during his closing argument. “There is no evidence Major League Baseball was ever involved.”

Kay’s Criminal Conviction

Kay was convicted in federal court in Texas of providing Skaggs with a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years in prison. His federal criminal trial in Texas included testimony from five MLB players who said they received oxycodone from Kay at various times from 2017 to 2019.

Lawsuit Damages

The lawsuit filed by the late athlete’s widow and parents sought $118 million in future earnings damages plus punitive damages. The jury deliberating behind closed doors this week sent a note Wednesday, asking the judge whether they “get to decide the punitive damage amount.”

Judge’s Response

The judge said she would send a note replying that if they decide there should be punitive damages, they would decide how much at a later time, the Associated Press reported.

Team’s Defense

During the trial, the team’s attorneys said Skaggs struggled mightily with his own addiction to painkillers over the years. They argued his death was a result of mixing alcohol and drugs. The team contended that the dose of fentanyl was not potent enough to kill the pitcher by itself.

Method of Use

The team’s attorneys contended that the drugs were more potent because Skaggs was snorting them instead of getting them processed by his liver when swallowing a pill. They also argued that any activity involving Skaggs and Kay happened on their own time and in the privacy of the player’s hotel room.

Witnesses

Angels President John Carpino was the final witness in the trial. Before him, Angels executive Molly Jolly, the team’s chief financial officer, testified in the team’s defense. Carpino and Jolly said they were unaware of the substance‑abuse issues of Skaggs or Kay.

Carpino’s Account

Carpino discussed how he was alerted to the news that Kay saw Skaggs snorting drugs in his hotel room while the team was on a road trip July 1, 2019, to play the Texas Rangers. “I called counsel and asked how do we get a hold of authorities in Texas,” Carpino said.

Team’s Cooperation

Team officials met with federal prosecutors, the Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI, but “no charges were ever brought against the team,” he added. “We were never indicted or accused of any wrongdoing. It was strictly pinned on Eric Kay.”

Carpino’s Reflection

Carpino said that, in hindsight, he wished he knew of the problems the two were having with their addictions. He added that the team was not held liable for Kay’s actions.

Family Testimony

Carli Skaggs, the widow of Tyler Skaggs, provided emotional testimony in the civil trial’s sixth week. She talked about how the couple met. The couple, who married in 2018, had just bought a house together and were working with an architect to design a home where they could raise a family before she received a call from the team’s general manager the her husband was found unresponsive in the hotel room.

Additional Testimony

The trial also included testimony from Camela Kay, ex‑wife of Eric Kay, and Skaggs’ teammate Mike Trout. Trout said he loved Skaggs like a brother and never saw signs of drug use before his death. Camela Kay said the Angels failed her then‑husband, who worked lengthy hours. She said that during his 2019 hospitalization for a drug overdose, she heard he had pills intended for Skaggs.

MLB Response to Overdose

After Skaggs’ death, the MLB reached a deal with the players association to start testing for opioids and to refer those who test positive to the treatment board. The move came after the civil case highlighted the league’s handling of substance abuse.

Skaggs’ Career

Skaggs had been a regular in the Angels’ starting rotation since late 2016 and struggled with injuries repeatedly during that time. He previously played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Key Takeaways

• The family and the Angels reached a confidential settlement after a two‑month civil trial.
• The settlement was announced on the fourth day of jury deliberations, with no details released.
• The case centered on drug abuse by former staffer Eric Kay and the circumstances of Skaggs’ death.

Closing

The settlement brings an end to a six‑year legal battle that began with Skaggs’ tragic death in a Texas hotel room on July 1, 2019. While the terms remain confidential, the agreement allows the Skaggs family to focus on healing and marks a significant moment in the league’s ongoing efforts to address substance abuse among its players and staff.