Personal Injury Law

Michael Jackson?s Wrongful Death?: Coroner Says King of Pop?s Fatal Cardiac Arrest was Homicide

During a televised interview with NBC that aired on the TODAY show this morning, Joe Jackson, the 80-year-old father of singer Michael Jackson, announced that not just someone but ?all of ?em? who may have contributed to his son?s untimely death at age 50 should pay. When asked if he meant the doctors who may have enabled the pop star?s prescription drug abuse over the years that eventually lead to his fatal drug overdose death, Joe Jackson said ?I didn?t say doctors. Everybody else that?s involved.?

Michael Jackson, then 50, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest on June 25. Autopsy results were withheld and the singer?s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray has come under close scrutiny as investigators try to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against him.

A law enforcement official has informed the Associated Press that the Los Angeles Coroner has ruled the singer?s death a homicide. Calling the singer?s death a homicide doesn?t mean a crime occurred, but it does mean that officials believe that Jackson died at someone else?s hands.

Forensic evidence shows that propofol and at least two other sedatives caused the singer?s death. Per a search warrant affidavit that was unsealed last week, Murray has admitted to giving the drugs to Jackson to help the star deal with his insomnia. Murray reportedly tried to wean Jackson off propofol but gave in to the singer?s demands for the drug on the morning that he died.

An attorney for Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson?s mother, says she is debating whether to file a wrongful death lawsuit against those who contributed to Jackson?s death. Possible defendants include Murray (a doctor can be held liable for medical malpractice if he fails to give the patient the quality of care required to protect him from injury , health complications, or death), concert promoter AEG Live, and others.

Rumors have long circulated that Jackson was suffering from a prescription drug addiction. In order to continue taking the medication that enabled his dependency, there may be multiple parties over the years that wrote the prescriptions and supplied him with the drugs.

Michael Jackson?s father: ?Someone should pay', Today, August 31, 2009

Coroner rules Jackson?s death a homicide, MSNBC, August 24, 2009

Jackson's mother considering wrongful death suit, AP/Google, August 17, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Michael Jackson Dies, TMZ, June 25, 2009

Celebrities and Prescription Drug Addiction, Michael's House

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on August 31, 2009 (boomark / email).