Tyrod Taylor is suing Los Angeles Chargers team doctor David S. Gazzaniga for medical malpractice, according to court documents obtained by ESPN, after Gazzaniga accidentally punctured Taylor’s lung while trying to administer a pain-killer to Taylor’s ribs.
Two years ago – almost to the day, actually – Taylor was forced to miss the Week 2 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, which opened the door for then-rookie Justin Herbert to seize the job and never relinquish it. Taylor, who had entered the year as the Chargers’ starter, played just one more snap in 2020.
The 33-year-old Taylor, who signed a two-year, $17 million deal with the New York Giants this spring, alleged in the lawsuit that he endured “severe physical pain resulting in hospitalization, physical therapy, emotional distress and other past pain and suffering.” His lawyers added that Taylor also lost potential earnings because of his backup status.
“As he returned to free agency, he entered as a back-up quarterback as opposed to a starting quarterback,” Taylor’s lawyers said in the lawsuit. “The economic difference between a starting quarterback’s salary and a back-up quarterback salary is at least $5,000,000 and is more than likely much greater. The exact amount of such past and future loss is unknown to [Taylor] at this time, and he will ask leave of this Court for permission to amend this Complaint to set forth the total amount when ascertained.”
Taylor signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with $2.5 million guaranteed after the 2020 season to be the backup quarterback on the Houston Texans, but ended up becoming the starter after the Texans benched Deshaun Watson following his sexual misconduct allegations. Taylor started six games for the Texans in 2021 but missed multiple games due to injury before being benched in Week 13 for then-rookie Davis Mills.
The lawsuit also accused Gazzaniga of “medical battery” and claims Taylor “did not have proper and accurate informed consent prior to the anesthetic injections” and thus “constituted a medical battery.”
Gazzaniga is still a member of the Chargers’ medical staff and, coincidentally, treated Herbert’s fractured rib Thursday night – also in a Week 2 game against the Chiefs. Herbert is considered day-to-day with the injury.
Taylor, meanwhile, Is the backup in New York behind Daniel Jones in his 12th NFL season.
The trial will begin in April of next year after being filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in May of 2021.
Source: Read Full Article
