Angels, Skaggs family settle wrongful death case as jury deliberations end

After weeks of gripping testimony, Orange County Superior Court Judge H. Shaina Colover ordered the jury to end their deliberations Friday morning pending a settlement agreement between the family of late pitcher Tyler Skaggs and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, ending the high-stakes wrongful death lawsuit over his 2019 fatal overdose.

Jurors were dismissed a short time later.

The undisclosed settlement ends a two-month trial over negligent supervision, ratification, and scope-of-employment issues in a Major League Baseball clubhouse that drew national attention.

The case arose from the death of Skaggs, 27, who was found unresponsive in a Texas hotel room while the Angels were on a road trip. An autopsy revealed fentanyl, oxycodone, and alcohol in his system. Former Angels communications staffer Eric Kay later was convicted in federal court and sentenced to 22 years in prison for supplying the counterfeit fentanyl pill that killed Skaggs. U.S.A. v. Kay, 4:20-cr-00269 (N.D. Tex., filed Oct. 15, 2020).

A statement issued by the Skaggs family confirmed they had "reached a confidential settlement with Angels Baseball that brings to a close a difficult six-year process, allowing our families to focus on healing. We are deeply grateful to the members of this jury, and to our legal team. Their engagement and focus gave us faith, and now we have finality. This trial exposed the truth and we hope Major League Baseball will now do its part in holding the Angels accountable. While nothing can bring Tyler back, we will continue to honor his memory."

At trial, plaintiffs argued that Kay's access to players and his informal role as a trusted clubhouse intermediary made drug procurement foreseeable and placed his conduct within the scope of his employment. They contended the Angels ignored warning signs of Kay's addiction and illicit behavior, breaching their duty of care to players.

"There is no doubt that if Eric Kay was taken out of that clubhouse, that if Eric Kay was not employed, Tyler Skaggs would still be alive," plaintiffs' attorney Daniel Dutko told jurors during his closing.

The Angels disputed that characterization, portraying Kay as a rogue employee whose criminal conduct occurred off duty and in violation of team policy, and Skaggs as a secretive addict who concealed his drug use from teammates and management. Defense counsel argued the law does not permit holding an employer liable for an adult employee's private addiction or for criminal acts beyond the employer's knowledge or control.

Jurors heard extensive testimony from players, executives, medical experts, and Kay's ex-wife, Camela Kay, who said she warned Angels personnel about her husband's drug use and pill distribution. Defense attorneys challenged her credibility, emphasizing inconsistencies and her distance from Kay during the relevant period.

Team president John Carpino testified that he learned the full extent of Kay's and Skaggs' addictions only after Skaggs' death.

The jury was tasked with completing a detailed special verdict form covering negligence, scope of employment, ratification, negligent supervision and retention, comparative fault, damages, and punitive damages. Carli Skaggs et al. v. Angels Baseball Inc., 30-2021-01231706-CU-PO-NJC (O.C. Super. Ct., filed Nov. 9, 2021).

While the agreement ends the litigation, evidence presented at trial already has had broader impact.

Following Skaggs' death, Major League Baseball and the players' association implemented opioid testing and mandatory referral to a treatment board for players who test positive.

For the Skaggs family, the settlement brings finality after years of criminal and civil proceedings. For the Angels and other professional sports organizations, the case underscored the legal risks surrounding employee access, oversight, and player health -- even where liability remains contested.