Derek Boogaard's family sues NHL

[coryroth24 15]

Not sure how I feel about this...

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nhl/story/_/id/9268298/family-derek-boogaard-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit-nhl

[TeamHonda401 54]

The family seems to be forgetting about the role that Derek's own brother played in his drug use.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nhl/story/_/id/6793134/derek-boogaard-brother-charged-providing-drugs-player-death

That being said, if their alleged facts about the prescriptions are proven to be true, then that is a very serious issue that needs to be investigated. If team doctors are indeed pumping players full of that many opiates, it's a wonder that no player has come out and said something about it yet. I understand not "biting the hand that feeds" but if teams are causing players to be hooked on opiates to that magnitude, I would certainly hope someone would blow the whistle on it.

I just worry about the motives of the Boogaard family. Are they doing this just for their own gain and lying about the doseages given to Derek, or are they telling the truth? Wait and see I suppose.

[SirJW 207]

If you haven't read the NY Times articles yet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/sports/hockey/derek-boogaard-a-boy-learns-to-brawl.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/sports/hockey/derek-boogaard-blood-on-the-ice.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/sports/hockey/derek-boogaard-a-brain-going-bad.html?pagewanted=all

Lawsuit Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/sports/hockey/derek-boogaards-family-sues-nhl-for-wrongful-death.html

[Neal 41]

Not having any visibility into the relationships between Derek Boogard, the team and his doctors, I can't speak to whether the family's theory that the team and his doctor's have at least some responsibility for his injuries and addictions. But seeing the quantities of prescriptions and how he seemed to pass through the rehabilitation process despite repeated transgressions I understand why they would be concerned and why they brought the suit.

If Derek Boogard's story is typical, this paints a picture of enforcers living a very chemically aided life that is supported and condoned by the teams and the doctors. I really hope this is not the case.

[chk hrd 164]

First let me say it is always a shame when something like this happens.

What about Boogard's personal responsibility. He had a choice to take the meds or not. He has always known what his role was, the hazards involved and never made any issues about it. No one forced him to take anything. What about the people around him, none of them noticed his addiction and spoke to him about getting league counseling and help? Did he hide getting different meds from multiple doctors? Was anyone else supplying him with non-prescription meds or falsefying scipts? Did his fight camps or any off season activities contribute to his addiction.

At some point in time you have to be accountable for your own actions. Filing a suite against the NHL is just going after deep pockets. I am sure the lawsuit will name everyone and anyone that they can to increase the settlement. If this somehow does win it will open a flood gate for future lawsuites in sports.

[chippa13 1844]

If the family is correct in their assertions, perhaps they see the lawsuit as a way of bringing awareness to a serious issue that could have other NHLers hiding in the dark.

[psh 25]

If the family is correct in their assertions, perhaps they see the lawsuit as a way of bringing awareness to a serious issue that could have other NHLers hiding in the dark.

I think this is exactly right. If you read the series of NYT articles and the interviews with the family since then, their behavior is not consistent with money or fame-seekers. They simply want to create something constructive in the wake of Derek's death. They see the best way of accomplishing that as raising awareness about what happened to Derek and perhaps preventing it from happening again.

[Chadd 916]

political rants and personal insults removed

[psh 25]

This seems as good a place as any to post this regarding developments in the Boogard investigation. A major source of his drugs has been arrested:

http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2014/09/arrests-in-death-of-derek-boogaard/

[chippa13 1844]

The situation as a whole (head injuries/painkillers/prescriptions) would probably have been better served had the drugs been obtained "legally". Boogard's issues probably started with "legally" prescribed medications and that is what really needs to be addressed, the source of the problems.

[chk hrd 164]

Completely agree. How many doctors repeatedly renew scripts without batting an eye. How many different doctors can you go to before someone gets suspicious. The legal meds are where you usually get hooked first and when the scripts stop people turn to illegal drugs or illegally obtained prescription drugs.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

I completely agree with both of you, though I still 100% support the arrests as well. We shouldn't ignore the illegal parts of the story just because we don't yet have a solution to the legal parts. Hope that makes as much sense on a screen as it did in my head.

[EJB 488]

I find it amusing that we can have real time updates for retail, but pharmacies can't figure this concept out. I understand it's multiple brick & mortars, following a single payer, but we're not talking about crazy programming here...

Doctor shopping is a biz, then aftermarket is lucrative....or just supplies the habit...or more likely, both. Then when pharmaceuticals become too expensive, heroin is cheaper...bla...bla...bla....

Situations like this often start with legal pushers, some of them are ignorant to their participation, others...far from unaware.

[psh 25]

Coincidentally, I recently read about the rash of opiod (mostly legal painkillers and heroin) deaths on Staten Island. Local police determined that it was legally prescribed painkillers that were the primary source of the addiction and overdoses. Apparently, New York City now mandates cross checks among pharmacists before prescribing the major problem drugs, like Percocet, Oxycontin, and Oxycodone. As far as I have read, there is now a system in place and it is working. It would seem that something like that could have at least made Boogard's prescription shopping much more difficult.

On a side note, it is shocking how completely devoid of conscience some of the drug manufacturers are. A major part of the story recounted how Purdue Pharma (the manufacturer of Oxycontin) knew how incredibly addictive it was but covered up evidence and lied as it was vetted by the FDA. It was just like watching the tobacco executives lie about lung cancer to congress all over again.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Part of the problem is over-prescribed drugs, too.

For example, I have half a bottle of oxycodone in my cabinet... was an entire bottle really necessary for a minor surgery with a two week recovery time?

[CathyGo 15]

On the flip side of that you have people not being given what they need because of increased regulation and fear of creating an addict.