Former Saint LeCharles sues Browns over staff infections

SmashMouth · 07-22-2010, 04:36 PM

LeCharles Bentley 2nd ex-Brown to sue for staph infection - ESPN

CLEVELAND -- Former Cleveland Browns center LeCharles Bentley sued the team on Thursday over a career-ending staph infection he says he contracted at the team's training facility.
AFC North blog
ESPN.com's James Walker writes about all things AFC North in his division blog.

• Blog network: NFL Nation

Bentley's attorney, Shannon Polk, said the lawsuit filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court seeks at least $25,000 in damages for alleged fraud and negligent misrepresentation. Bentley could seek more money in court.

Polk said Bentley nearly died from the infection while he was rehabbing from a knee injury. She said the Browns persuaded Bentley to rehab at the team's facility and never told him about "a host of unsanitary conditions" or other players who had contracted staph there.

The Browns did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Former Browns receiver Joe Jurevicius settled a similar lawsuit in June. Terms weren't disclosed.

The Bentley lawsuit said the Browns' training facility in suburban Berea has been portrayed to players and player prospects "as a world-class facility at which 'state-of-the-art' physical training, medical care and treatment and other rehabilitative services are provided."

But the lawsuit said Bentley's repaired knee became swollen and he was diagnosed with staph infection within weeks of beginning rehabilitation at the facility on July 31, 2006.

The result, the lawsuit said, was multiple surgeries to root out Bentley's staph infection "and he nearly lost his life."

The lawsuit said Bentley developed staph because he relied on the team's representations about a hygienic training facility and because the Browns failed to sanitize equipment.

When the Jurevicius lawsuit was settled, team attorney Fred Nance said the Browns' sanitation and hygiene practices "have been and continue to be at the highest state-of-the-art level in the league."

Hard to see a player get affected like that. Best of luck!

07-22-2010, 04:36 PM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,477 Blog Entries: 29	Former Saint LeCharles sues Browns over staff infections LeCharles Bentley 2nd ex-Brown to sue for staph infection - ESPN CLEVELAND -- Former Cleveland Browns center LeCharles Bentley sued the team on Thursday over a career-ending staph infection he says he contracted at the team's training facility. AFC North blog ESPN.com's James Walker writes about all things AFC North in his division blog. • Blog network: NFL Nation Bentley's attorney, Shannon Polk, said the lawsuit filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court seeks at least $25,000 in damages for alleged fraud and negligent misrepresentation. Bentley could seek more money in court. Polk said Bentley nearly died from the infection while he was rehabbing from a knee injury. She said the Browns persuaded Bentley to rehab at the team's facility and never told him about "a host of unsanitary conditions" or other players who had contracted staph there. The Browns did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Former Browns receiver Joe Jurevicius settled a similar lawsuit in June. Terms weren't disclosed. The Bentley lawsuit said the Browns' training facility in suburban Berea has been portrayed to players and player prospects "as a world-class facility at which 'state-of-the-art' physical training, medical care and treatment and other rehabilitative services are provided." But the lawsuit said Bentley's repaired knee became swollen and he was diagnosed with staph infection within weeks of beginning rehabilitation at the facility on July 31, 2006. The result, the lawsuit said, was multiple surgeries to root out Bentley's staph infection "and he nearly lost his life." The lawsuit said Bentley developed staph because he relied on the team's representations about a hygienic training facility and because the Browns failed to sanitize equipment. When the Jurevicius lawsuit was settled, team attorney Fred Nance said the Browns' sanitation and hygiene practices "have been and continue to be at the highest state-of-the-art level in the league." Hard to see a player get affected like that. Best of luck!
	Last edited by Halo; 07-22-2010 at 05:13 PM..