Former Philadelphia Eagles star Chris Maragos has received a pay-out of $43.5million after his NFL career was shortened due to improper medical care.
The former Eagles safety saw his NFL career come to a halt in 2019, when mistreatment on his injured right-knee forced him to retire prematurely. Orthopedic surgeon James Bradley and Rothman Orthopaedics were sued by Maragos after it was claimed that damage to his meniscus was ignored by specialists.
The injury occurred back in 2017, and Maragos had an MRI scan during the off-season in 2018 to diagnose the extent of his problems. Maragos never played in the NFL again after being forced to retire in 2019, and he's now seen a $43.5m settlement come his way.
"On Sunday, my team played the Super Bowl, and I could only watch and wonder whether I could have been out there with them had I received proper medical care," Maragos said in a statement on Monday, "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 players are people, not just contracts."
The settlement comes after Maragos' attorneys argued that his knee injury was not properly diagnosed. Maragos did undergo treatment for a torn posterior cruciate ligament, but attorneys alleged that damage to Maragos's meniscus was ignored.
The MRI scan showed deterioration in the joint, and legal proceedings followed. There was a two-week trial as Maragos' case was heard, and it's since been settled.
"This verdict will not bring back Chris' NFL career, but we are grateful the Maragos family finally got a measure of justice," attorney Peter J. Flowers said in a statement. "But, this is only the beginning in our effort to demand further accountability for professional sports franchises and ethical treatment for athletes.
"This jury's verdict serves as a reminder that any team's doctor, in any sport, who jeopardizes the well-being of its players due to contractual obligations or financial incentives, will be held accountable for their misconduct."
Bradley is responsible for two thirds of the $43.5m settlement, while Rothman Orthopaedics are being charged for the rest. Rothman Orthopaedics are an official partner with the Eagles, but despite Maragos getting justice, he still feels there is work to be done personally.
"There's still a lot of work to be done between the relationship between my wife and I, and our kids, and me physically," Maragos added. "This is just a start of a long road ahead unfortunately, but definitely a stepping stone."
