- Los Angeles Angels and the family of pitcher Tyler Skaggs agreed to a last-minute settlement during jury deliberations.
- The settlement ends a yearslong civil lawsuit over Skaggs’ 2019 death; terms and amount were not disclosed.
- Jurors had been deliberating for more than two days after a 31-day trial featuring 44 witnesses and 312 exhibits.
- Former Angels employee Eric Kay, who gave Skaggs a fentanyl-laced pill, is serving a 22-year federal sentence.
Settlement announced as jury neared verdict
SANTA ANA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels and the family of Tyler Skaggs reached a last-minute settlement Friday, ending a civil lawsuit that had been heard in Santa Ana superior court. The parties announced the agreement as jurors began their third day of deliberations in a trial that drew national attention.
Terms remain private
Court filings and statements did not disclose the settlement amount or detailed terms. The Skaggs family had sought roughly $118 million in potential lost earnings plus additional damages. With talks intensifying Thursday and continuing Friday morning, lawyers for both sides finalized an agreement before jurors could render a verdict.
Trial recap: scope and testimony
The high-profile trial lasted 31 days and included testimony and depositions from 44 witnesses and presentation of 312 exhibits. Jurors were asked to answer up to 26 questions that ranged from matters of fact to complex determinations of negligence and possible punitive damages. They also heard testimony from five wage experts, whose estimates of Skaggs’ lost career earnings ranged from about $21 million to nearly $125 million.
Central facts and legal arguments
Tyler Skaggs died in 2019 after receiving a fentanyl-laced pill from Angels employee Eric Kay. Kay later pleaded guilty in federal court and is serving a 22-year sentence for his role in Skaggs’ death. During the civil trial, jurors were instructed that had Kay not provided the pill, Skaggs would not have died that night.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Daniel Dutko argued the Angels knew of Kay’s drug problems and failed to act, citing a Drug Enforcement Administration interview in which Kay told a superior in 2017 that he and Skaggs were using drugs. The Skaggs family contended the team did not monitor, discipline or remove Kay and therefore placed Skaggs at risk.
Angels lead counsel Todd Theodora countered that Kay acted on his own and that the club was unaware of his alleged pill distribution. The defense also argued that Skaggs concealed prior substance use and that Kay was not acting within the scope of his employment when he provided pills.
Jury avoided making a formal finding
Because the settlement was reached while jurors deliberated, the panel did not deliver a verdict or assign percentages of responsibility among Skaggs, Kay and the Angels. Judge H. Shaina Colover oversaw the proceedings as attorneys conferred both inside and outside the courtroom during the final negotiation stages.
More coverage and sources
Reporting in the courtroom and trial coverage was led by Michael Rothstein. His profile: @MikeRothstein.
The settlement brings closure to a contentious legal fight that followed the tragic 2019 death of a promising pitcher and raises continuing questions about workplace oversight and player safety in professional sports.
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