Music fans in North Carolina were stunned by the news that musician Prince suddenly passed away in April 2016 at the age of 57 of an opioid overdose. Two years after his death, his next of kin have filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The trustee for Prince’s next of kin filed the three-count suit against those who the family claims contributed to Prince’s death. The lawsuit lists Trinity Health Systems, an employee at Trinity Medical Center, several employees at Walgreens and the Walgreens corporation as defendants.
Prince’s death occurred due to an accidental overdose of fentanyl. According to the DEA, fentanyl is an opioid that’s approximately 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and 30 to 50 times stronger than heroin. An attorney for Carver County recently gave details about a two-year investigation into Prince’s death. The investigation concluded that at the time of his passing, Prince was taking a prescription medication that he believed to be Vicodin. The pills were actually laced with fentanyl. Authorities still aren’t sure how Prince obtained the pills.
Prince’s kin alleges that the hospitals and staff who were responsible for treating the music star after he collapsed on a plane days before his death deviated from the proper standards of care. The family is seeking at least $50,000 in the suit and is hoping that it sheds light on the opioid epidemic in order to prevent other families from losing a loved one.
In order to win a wrongful death lawsuit, legal counsel will have to show that the fatality was caused by a wrongful act or neglect. A lawyer might provide details of any police investigation, witness interviews and any video footage obtained in order to show wrongful death.