Former Vikings DE Sharrif Floyd Filing Lawsuit Against Dr. James Andrews

Sharrif Floyd allegedly suffered permanent nerve and muscle damage in his right leg after undergoing knee surgery at the Andrews Institute in September 2016.

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Former Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd will file a $180-million lawsuit against noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, the Andrews Institute for Orthopedic Surgery and others in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court for Orange County Florida on Tuesday, according to Floyd’s lawyer Brad Sohn.

Floyd’s once-promising career is now over.

The suit alleges that Floyd, the No. 23 pick in the 2013 NFL draft, was told by Andrews that he’d undergo a minor arthroscopic knee surgery in September 2016, intended to shelf him for 3–4 weeks. Instead, the suit alleges, Floyd underwent a far more significant procedure at the Andrews Institute. According to the lawsuit, Floyd suffered permanent nerve and muscle damage in his right leg as a result of the surgery.

According to the suit, the Andrew Institute negligently administered a pain blocker that led to the muscle and nerve damage. In the aftermath, the Vikings placed Floyd on the non-football injury list, which was the subject of an NFLPA grievance. That grievance centered on the payment of Floyd’s $6.7-million option for 2017, the final year of his rookie deal. The Vikings exercised that option in May 2016.

It’s believed that the team and Floyd have engaged in settlement talks on the grievance. The related $180-million lawsuit is based on what Floyd would’ve made over the course of a longer career as a pro football player.

“We believe that if Sharrif had not been the victim of the medical negligence we allege, he would’ve been paid commensurate with some of the top players at his position, if not some of the top defensive players in football,” Sohn said over the phone on Monday night.

The figure is based on what top contemporary players at Floyd’s position would make over the course of their careers.