Former LSU football player and team captain Greg Brooks Jr., who was diagnosed with a brain tumor last fall that ended his career, is suing the school and affiliated medical center for negligence. Brooks is suing the surgeon who performed the surgery for damages, accusing the coach of negligence and the athletic trainer’s misdiagnosis.
The 13-page lawsuit, filed in August in East Baton Rouge Parish and obtained by Yahoo Sports on Thursday, reveals unreported details of a timeline of events last year related to Brooks’ surprise situation. – Wishes from a star NFL and SEC safety to a “permanently disabled” man who is still unable to walk a year after surgery.
The lawsuit details the beginning of Brooks’ symptoms from football practice last August to emergency brain surgery in September, a story that shocked the nation last year. He played in two football games before an MRI scan revealed a brain tumor.
In his lawsuit, Brooks accuses the coaching staff of encouraging him to practice and play while sick by threatening his starting position, failing to properly diagnose his condition and recommending that he see a neurologist. He is suing the team’s trainers for refusing to do so for weeks. Specialist.
Among the most serious charges, Brooks said the brain surgery performed by surgeon Brandon Gaynor at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge left him with “catastrophic neurological damage” and “permanent disability.” He claims that he suffered. Brooks said he suffered “multiple strokes” during the surgery due to “acts of medical malpractice.” These alleged acts are the subject of a medical review of a medical malpractice claim filed by the family.
In addition to Gainer, the lawsuit also names several members of LSU’s coaching and training staff and a doctor at the medical center and holds them partly responsible. The list includes head coach Brian Kelly, then-defensive coordinator Matt House, then-safeties coach Kelly Cooks, head athletic trainer Owen Stanley, and team doctors Stephen Etheridge and Vincent Shaw. There is.
LSU and Our Lady of the Lake released a statement to Yahoo Sports this week.
“First and foremost, our prayers are with Greg’s continued healing and recovery. Due to patient privacy laws and pending litigation, we cannot comment on specific individuals or circumstances,” the hospital said in a statement. said. “The neurosurgical team at Our Lady of the Lake is one of the most experienced in Louisiana, giving our patients the best chance of a positive outcome in any situation. Providing excellent health care to the people we serve is our top priority.”
“While LSU cannot comment on ongoing litigation, Greg Brooks remains in our thoughts and prayers as he continues to work through his rehabilitation process,” the school said in a statement. Since our contract with Our Lady of the Lake began, they have provided outstanding medical care to our student-athletes in all of our sports.”
Brooks and his family did not respond to requests for comment.
A year after the surgery, Brooks is unable to walk, cannot use his right hand and has significant difficulty speaking, according to a request from Brooks’ attorney to the executive branch medical review board.
“Greg will likely require lifelong nursing care due to injuries sustained as a result of the misconduct of his health care providers,” the document states. “Obviously, Greg will never be able to play football again and will probably never be able to work or take care of himself without the help of others.”
As a result of this surgery, Dr. Brooks developed a condition known as “posterior fossa syndrome.” This is a postoperative problem that occurs in some patients and is associated with a variety of symptoms, including effects on language, motor skills, and behavior. His nerve injuries were “a direct result of the medical malpractice of these neurosurgeons,” the complaint states.
Brooks was eventually transferred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis last October, where she suffered nine months of “extended hospitalization, rehabilitation, and recovery.” He recently spent several more days in a Memphis hospital for surgery.
In his lawsuit, Brooks accused LSU of disclosing confidential medical information that was “false and misleading.” Using his name, image, or likeness without his consent. and refused to transfer ownership of an endowment fund in his name to him through the LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation. NCAA policy requires documentation of eligible medical expenses for purposes of distributing funds. LSU did not mention the fund in its statement.
Brooks, a native of Harvey, La., outside New Orleans, was a three-year starter at safety at Arkansas before transferring to LSU in 2022. In his first season with the Tigers, he ranked fifth on the team in tackles and was a starter. He appeared in 13 games and recorded a game-winning interception against Auburn.
Last August, before the start of his fifth senior season, he was voted permanent team captain and entered the season as an NFL Draft candidate.
However, on August 5, the first week of LSU’s preseason camp, Brooks experienced symptoms of nausea and dizziness and vomited during practice. He was treated with Zofran for nausea and allowed to return to practice. Two days later, on August 7, Brooks’ symptoms worsened. LSU trainers cured Brooks’ concussion after using an electronic app called C3 Logix on an iPad, according to the suit. On August 11, Brooks experienced further symptoms during a “rolling drill” during practice. He was treated for “vertigo.”
Symptoms continued for several weeks afterward as the Tigers prepared for their season opener against Florida State in Orlando. According to the lawsuit, Brooks was given the option to sit out practice, but was “also advised by the coaching staff that if he chose to sit out, someone else would take his place and he could lose his starting spot.” “I was told that there was.”
He played the majority of LSU’s first two games against Florida State and Grambling. On September 13, 39 days after Brooks experienced his first symptoms, the trainer scheduled Brooks to be examined by a neurologist, at which time an MRI scan was performed.
Trainers then informed Brooks of the results and arranged for him to undergo emergency surgery the same day at LSU-affiliated Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center. The medical center “handpicked” Gaynor as the surgeon and “never explained” to Brooks or his parents that other treatments could be considered, the suit says.
The lawsuit alleges that Gaynor “lacked the appropriate training, education, and experience to perform the procedure.” Removing this type of brain tumor requires a craniotomy and resection, which is typically performed by a “fellowship-trained pediatric neurosurgeon,” the suit says.
Gaynor went into surgery and told Brooks that she would probably be able to eat dinner that night, but in a “worst case scenario” she would not be able to swallow or speak for several months, according to a letter to the medical review board. He said it would be difficult. .
After surgery, Brooks’ tumor was determined to be a “pediatric tumor,” a cancerous tumor that usually occurs in children. However, childhood tumors can also occur in adults. According to the medical journal, cancerous brain tumors can be difficult to detect because they typically grow slowly and may be “asymptomatic,” or show no symptoms, until the advanced stages.
The Cancer Certification Commission has accredited Our Lady of the Lake’s cancer removal surgery for many years. Certification is typically determined by a hospital’s surgical success rate. Gaynor, the surgeon who is the subject of the lawsuit, was certified in neurosurgery by the American Board of Neurological Surgery in 2018, according to his biography on Our Lady of the Lake’s website.
“As LSU’s Championship Health Partner, Our Lady of the Lake leads a team of medical professionals who care for LSU’s athletes,” the hospital continued in its statement. A team of sports medicine physicians, cardiologists, neurologists and other specialists work with the LSU athletic department to ensure student-athletes receive the highest standards of comprehensive care. ”
In the aftermath of Brooks’ surgery, LSU honored Brooks last year by wearing a decal with his jersey number, No. 3, on its helmet for the game against Arkansas. Weeks later, the school praised Gainer’s “heroic” efforts in treating Brooks during halftime of an LSU-Florida game, which the lawsuit charges. This action “further exacerbated Greg’s significant emotional distress,” the complaint states.
A hearing is scheduled for February 10th before Judge Tiffany Foxworth Roberts. In the latest filing Oct. 7, Brooks’ attorneys requested subpoenas against LSU, its Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Office of the Administrator.
