Prince has been gone for more than two years now, but the bitter aftermath of his death is far from over. According to The Shade Room, his family has gone beyond the estate battle over his assets and royalties now turning their focus toward another person who is connected to his death. It has been reported that the singer’s family has filed a lawsuit against the doctor who prescribed him the painkillers that ultimately led to his death.
Prince’s Family Claps Back:
According to Rolling Stone, on Friday, August 24, the singer’s family filed the lawsuit in Hennepin County District Court against the Minnesota doctor who prescribed Fentanyl, the powerful opiates found in his system at the time of his death. When the autopsy report was released, it confirmed Prince – whose real name is Prince Rogers Nelson – died of an overdose from the deadly opiate described as an “’exceedingly high’ level of Fentanyl in his system.” For those who don’t know, Fentanyl is considered to be “a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin.” So, the amount Prince consumed was reportedly off the charts.
Now, his family wants the doctor involved to assume responsibility for the fatal prescription he wrote. The family’s lawyer John Goetz released a statement about the latest lawsuit brought against the parties they believe are to blame for Prince’s death. “The Minnesota lawsuit is against all parties whom we now believe share legal responsibility for Prince’s death, but it is possible that we will identify and add other parties as we move forward with the case,” Goetz said in a statement.
Details about the lawsuit have also been released. According to ABC News, court documents have also explained why the doctor should be held accountable. “He failed to appropriately evaluate, diagnose, treat and counsel Prince for his recognizable opioid addiction, and further failed to take appropriate and reasonable steps to prevent the foreseeably fatal result of that addiction,” the lawsuit read, according to the publication. “These departures from the standard of acceptable medical practice had a substantial part in bringing about Prince’s death.”
Other Parties Included:
In addition to the doctor, the family is also blaming two Minnesota-area Walgreens locations for “dispensing narcotic prescription medication” for invalid medical purposes,” according to the Rolling Stone. The latest news follows a confession from Dr. Michael Schulenberg, a Minneapolis geriatrician. A source close to the late singer revealed Schulenberg treated Prince for opioid withdrawal, anemia, and fatigue prior to his death. But Schulenberg admitted that he’d prescribed the painkills to Prince’s bodyguard to conceal his identity. As a result of his actions, he was fined a total of $30,000. He reportedly settled the dispute “in order to avoid the expense, delay and unknown outcome of litigation.” However, that just isn’t enough for the devastating loss the Nelson family has suffered as a result of Prince’s death.
In response to the latest lawsuit, Schulenberg’s lawyer Paul Peterson has released a statement to the Associated Press. “We understand this situation has been difficult on everyone close to Mr. Nelson and his fans across the globe. Be that as it may, Dr. Schulenberg stands behind the care that Mr. Nelson received. We intend to defend this case.”
