Former Vikings Star Sharrif Floyd Sues Doctors for $180M

Dr. James Andrews is probably the most recognized name when it comes to world class athletes and injuries. The orthopedic surgeon has performed Tommy John surgery on just about every pitcher you know, along with surgeries on Bo Jackson's hip, the shoulders of Cowboys trio Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith, and knee operations on golfer Jack Nicklaus and wrestler CM Punk. Needless to say, if you're an elite athlete that needs major surgery, you go to Dr. Andrews.

That's certainly what Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd thought when he went to Andrews for meniscus surgery in 2016. But that operation didn't yield the results of some of the doctor's others. According to Floyd's attorney, the former All-American suffered permanent nerve and muscle damage during the procedure, and will likely never play again.

Adding Injury to Injury

Floyd's lawyer, Brad Sohn, announced his client will be filing a $180 million lawsuit against Dr. James Andrews, the Andrews Institute for Orthopedic Surgery, and others after the botched surgery led to "significant loss of function in his knee musculature." What started out as a routine arthroscopic surgery turned into a more complicated microfracture procedure, requiring doctors to drill into a bone and necessitating a post-operation pain blocker. Floyd claims an anesthesiologist negligently administered that pain blocker into a nerve in his knee, paralyzing the nerve and the surrounding muscle. Floyd has been on injured reserve ever since.

"We have expert witnesses to testify to what his NFL earnings would've been," Sohn said, referring to the request for $180 million in damages. "I'm going to get justice for Sharrif. He would have earned, we believe, a considerable amount of money playing football, and we're going to attempt to hold accountable the people who prevented him from playing football and ended his career. I'm prepared to go the distance."

Related Resources:

• Ex-NFL Player Sharrif Floyd Sues Dr. James Andrews and Others for $180 Million (ESPN)
• Jason Pierre-Paul Sues ESPN, Adam Schefter Over Medical Records Release (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
• Eagles LT Jason Peters to Sue Roll-A-Bout Over Ruptured Achilles (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
• USC Settles Former Player's Toradol Lawsuit (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)