Former NFL player wins nearly $30 million against doctor who allegedly ended his career

Michael Cox Jr., a former NFL player, has won nearly $30 million against a prominent Manhattan surgeon for allegedly ending his career following a botched surgery.

The former New York Giants running back reportedly won $28.5 million after the now deceased Dr. Dean Lorich and New York-Presbyterian Hospital were found guilty of malpractice.

The Manhattan Supreme Court awarded the footballer $15.5 million in future pain and suffering, $12 million in lost earnings, and $1 million in past pain and suffering, according to the New York Post.

Dr. Lorich passed away with a knife in his chest in his Upper East Side home a year after the case was filed. His death was subsequently declared a suicide. He rose to fame after performing the surgery on U2 frontman Bono after the singer got involved in a bike accident, the NY Post reported.

“The jury spoke with a clear and unambiguous voice that Mr Cox received inadequate medical care and treatment and was significantly injured as a result,” Cox’s attorney, Jordan Merson, told the NY Post. “We are pleased with the jury’s decision.”

Meanwhile, a representative of the Lorich estate has vowed to appeal the judgment. “We disagree strongly with the jury’s verdict and believe it was inconsistent with the evidence in the case.” 

“We will be appealing the decision,” said attorney Bhalinder Rikhye.

The protracted legal battle dates back to 2014 when Cox had a four-year running contract with Big Blue amounting to $2.3 million. He was tackled during a November 2014 game in Seattle which left him with a broken leg, damaged cartilage and injured ankle, according to the NY Post.

He had knife surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery with Dr. Lorich, who was the associate director of the hospital’s orthopedic trauma service and chief of the orthopedic trauma service at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

According to the NY Post, he allegedly failed to fully repair Cox’s ankle, prompting the footballer to sue Dr. Lorich and the New York-Presbyterian Hospital for unspecified damages in 2016.