Family of late Chris Cornell settles lawsuit with doctor
The family of Chris Cornell and a doctor who they alleged overprescribed him drugs before he died have agreed to a settle a lawsuit. Court documents filed by attorneys for the rock singer’s widow, Vicky Cornell, and their children, Toni and Christopher Nicholas Cornell, said a confidential settlement had been reached. The documents were filed in April, but they had gone unnoticed before City News Service reported recently.
The Cornell family alleged in the lawsuit filed in 2018 in Los Angeles Superior Court that medication, especially the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam, prescribed by Dr Robert Koblin led to erratic behaviour from the Soundgarden front man before his death in Detroit in 2017 at age 52.
The lawsuit said Koblin and his Beverly Hills, California, office “negligently and repeatedly” prescribed “dangerous mind-altering controlled substances to Chris Cornell which impaired Mr Cornell’s cognition, clouded his judgment, and caused him to engage in dangerous impulsive behaviours that he was unable to control, costing him his life.”
The lawsuit said that the doctor did this knowing Cornell had a serious history of substance abuse. In court documents responding to the lawsuit, Koblin and his attorney denied any wrongdoing or responsibility for Cornell’s death. Emails seeking comment sent Thursday night to attorneys for both sides were not immediately returned.
The case has “received significant media coverage and attention from fans of Mr. Cornell and allies of Plaintiffs,” the court filing said.