Former Philadelphia Eagles captain Chris Maragos has won a $43.5 million medical malpractice lawsuit against orthopedic surgeon James Bradley and Rothman Orthopaedics. Maragos’s attorneys filed suit over an injury he received in an October 2017 game against the Carolina Panthers, later diagnosed as a torn right knee ligament. The Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas jury found Bradley and Rothman Orthopaedics was negligent in treating Maragos and caused him harm, forcing him to end his NFL career prematurely.
CNN reports that according to court documents, Bradley was responsible for $29.2 million in damages, and Rothman Orthopaedics was responsible for $14.3 million. Maragos’ representatives also claimed that Bradley and Rothman Orthopedics failed to treat a meniscus tear, and attempts to speed his rehabilitation from injury only further damaged his knee.
Maragos signed a three-year, $4 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2014. In November 2016, he followed up with a three-year, $6 million contract extension with $2.45 million guaranteed through the 2019 season. However, his career-ending knee injury occurred in Week 6 of the 2017 season.
Maragos’ lawyer, Dion G. Rassias, stated that he hopes the case sends a message to medical staff that athletes are people, not just contracts. In a statement about the verdict, Maragos said, “While I live in constant pain and will never get back on the field, I hope this decision sends a message to teams’ medical staffs that the players are people, not just contracts.”
Representatives for Rothman Orthopaedics did not respond to media requests for comment. However, James Bradley’s lawyer, John C. Conti, called the ruling “a poorly grounded decision.”
