PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A former Philadelphia Eagles special teams captain has won a multi-million dollar settlement in a malpractice suit over a career-ending knee injury.
Chris Maragos, who played on the Eagles team that won Super Bowl LII in February 2018, sued Rothman Orthopaedics and Pittsburgh-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Bradley, saying his ligament surgery and rehab effectively ended his career.
In the suit, lawyers for Maragos said the player was allowed to continue rehabilitation despite a meniscus tear in his right knee that was discovered by an MRI. His attorneys said the medical team did not treat the tear.
He was rehabbing what had been diagnosed as a torn right knee posterior cruciate ligament after an Eagles game against the Carolina Panthers in 2017.
The subsequent damage and his inability to recover from it forced Maragos to retire from the NFL.
The defense argued to the jury that nothing occurred during the surgery or rehab that led to the end of his career, and it was an unfortunate injury.
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“On Sunday, my team played the Super Bowl, and I could only watch and wonder whether I could have been out there with him had I received proper medical care,” Maragos said.
“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.”
Former teammates Nick Foles, Trey Burton and Jordan Hicks testified during the trial.
Maragos, who was listed as a safety but mainly played special teams in his career, was rewarded $43.5 million.