MLB Pitcher Tyler Skaggs' Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Los Angeles Angels

In a statement to E! News, the Los Angeles Angels said the lawsuits are “entirely without merit and the allegations are baseless and irresponsible.”

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Tyler Skaggs‘ family has filed a wrong death lawsuit against the Los Angeles Angels nearly two years after the MLB pitcher was found dead in a hotel room.

According to court documents obtained by E! News on June 29, the parents and wife of Tyler filed lawsuits in Texas and California accusing two former high-level employees and the baseball team of gross negligence and wrongful death.

“The tragedy of Tyler’s death was made worse by the revelation that it could have been avoided,” the Skaggs family claimed in court documents. “The Angels failed Tyler. And because of this failure, Tyler, who was on the brink of achieving certain and substantial success as a pitcher in MLB, had his life cut short.”

In a statement to E! News, Angels spokesperson Marie Garvey said the “lawsuits are entirely without merit and the allegations are baseless and irresponsible.” 

“In 2019, Angels Baseball hired a former federal prosecutor to conduct an independent investigation to comprehensively understand the circumstances that led to Tyler’s tragic death,” the statement read. “The investigation confirmed that the Organization did not know that Tyler was using opioids, nor was anyone in management aware or informed of any employee providing opioids to any player.”

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The statement concluded, “The Angels Organization strongly disagrees with the claims made by the Skaggs family and we will vigorously defend these lawsuits in court.” 

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On July 1, 2019, Tyler was found dead in his Texas hotel room at the age of 27. A toxicology report released by the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office determined the Angels pitcher died after choking on his own vomit, which was caused by a lethal combination of opioids and alcohol.

Since his death, Tyler’s family established the Tyler Skaggs Foundation, which supports athletic programs and initiatives for children.

And back in October 2020, former Angels employee Eric Prescott King was indicted on two charges including distributing a controlled substance that resulted in Tyler’s death.

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“[Eric] asks for everyone’s patience before forming judgment so that all sides can be heard and facts are brought to light in a straight-forward fashion and not skewed by innuendo or interpretation,” his attorney Michael Molfetta previously said in a statement to E! News adding that his client “is eager to respond and to have his opportunity to tell his side of the story.”

Eric is also listed as a defendant in the latest lawsuit filed by the Skaggs family. E! News has reached out to his attorney for comment and has not heard back.

According to the attorney representing Tyler’s family, the decision to file a lawsuit was not an easy one. “Nothing will ease the pain and heartache of losing their only child and, for Carli, her husband and soulmate,” Rusty Hardin said in a press release. “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.” 

Vanessa Bryant Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit Over Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash

Vanessa Bryant and her children have settled a lawsuit against the helicopter operator of the flight that killed Kobe Bryant in 2020. Successors of six of the other victims also agreed on the terms.

Kobe Bryant‘s family is closing one chapter in the aftermath of his fatal crash, by reaching a settlement agreement with the helicopter company that operated his flight.

His widow, Vanessa Bryant, and families of other victims agreed on a confidential settlement on Tuesday, June 22, according to the court notice obtained by E! News. 

“Plaintiffs and Defendants jointly report that they have agreed to settle their claims,” reads the notice. “The material terms of the settlement and releases are known to the settling parties and include that the terms of the settlement are confidential.” 

They are finalizing the settlement documents and will request that the California judge approve the agreement.

Defendants Island Express Helicopters and Island Express Holding Corp, along with the successor of pilot Ara Zobayan, all agreed to settle. 

Last year, Vanessa sued them for the wrongful death of her husband Kobe, 41, and daughter Gianna, 13, after they were killed in a January 2020 helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., along with seven other people. Her surviving children Natalia, 18, Bianka, 4, and Capri, 2, were also plaintiffs in the lawsuit. 

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In addition to Kobe, Gianna and Ara, the helicopter accident killed passengers Christina Mauser; Alyssa, John and Keri Altobelli; and Payton and Sarah Chester.

Successors John James Altobelli, Alexis Altobelli, Christopher Chester, Matthew Mauser and multiple minors were also listed as plaintiffs and agreed to the settlement arrangement, the terms of which were not disclosed. 

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Vanessa’s lawsuit accused the pilot of failing to properly monitor and assess the weather prior to takeoff, as well as failing to abort the flight when he knew of the cloudy conditions, among other allegations. At the time, she asked for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. 

When the suit was filed, a spokesperson for Island Express Helicopters told E! News in a statement, “This was a tragic accident. We will have no comment on the pending litigation.” 

E! News has reached out to Island Express helicopters and Vanessa’s rep for comment on the settlement.

Vanessa separately sued the L.A. County Sheriff and his department, including four L.A. County sheriff’s deputies that she accused of leaking photos of the crash site. In March 2021, she revealed their identities as Joey Cruz, Rafael Mejia, Michael Russell and Raul Versales. (E! News reached out to the individuals at the time, but didn’t hear back.)

That lawsuit alleges, “No fewer than eight sheriff’s deputies at the crash site, pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children, parents and coaches. The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification.”

The LASD released a statement last September about the legal proceedings, saying, “Shortly following this tragic crash, Sheriff Villanueva sponsored legislation which now makes it a crime for public safety personnel to take or share non-official pictures of this nature.” It went on, “As a result of the swift actions we took under extraordinary circumstances, no pictures made it into the public arena. We continue to offer our heartfelt sympathies for the victims and their families.”

Just two days ago, Vanessa marked the second Father’s Day gone without the basketball champion. 

“To the best girl dad. Happy Father’s Day, Papi,” his wife of nearly 20 years wrote on Instagram. “We love you forever and always, always and forever. Love you always, Nani, Gigi, B.B, Koko and VB.”

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