What to know before Tyler Skaggs' wrongful death trial against Los Angeles Angels begins

"Jurors during what is expected to be a more than month-long trial will ultimately have to decide whether the Angels knew or at least should have known about Skaggs' drug use prior to his death. With Skaggs' family seeking hundreds of millions of dollars, the financial stake for the ball club is enormous, as even a finding of partial responsibility for the death could open the doors to a hefty penalty."

"Skaggs a 27-year-old starting pitcher who spent the bulk of his decade-long professional career in the Angels organization died of what was later determined to be a lethal combination of fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol just hours before the club was scheduled to play a game against the Texas Rangers. Eric Kay who at the time of Skaggs' death was an Angels public relations director was convicted in federal court in 2022 of providing Skaggs with drugs and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison."

"Attorneys for the Skaggs' family allege that Kay provided Skaggs with the drugs he ingested the night of his death. Attorneys for the Angels contend that Kay and Skagg had a clandestine arrangement in which Kay would obtain street drugs that Skaggs paid for. During a series of pretrial court hearings a few days before jury selection, both sides have hinted at arguments that would challenge portions of the public narrative of Skaggs' death."

Jury selection begins Oct. 6 in Orange County Superior Court for a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Tyler Skaggs' family seeking hundreds of millions from the Los Angeles Angels. Jurors will decide whether the Angels knew or should have known about Skaggs' drug use before his 2019 death from fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol. Convicted former Angels public relations director Eric Kay received a 22-year federal sentence for providing drugs. Plaintiffs allege Kay supplied the fatal substances; the team says Kay and Skaggs maintained a clandestine, transactional arrangement and other people may have supplied narcotics. Pretrial hearings preview disputed factual narratives.

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