Second Lawsuit Filed in Oregon Rhabdo Case

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A day after a former player filed a similar lawsuit, a current player for the University of Oregon football team filed suit against the school, former head coach Willie Taggart, and former strength coach Irele Oderinde over an incident that landed him in the hospital.

Sophomore offensive lineman Sam Poutasi was hospitalized in January 2017 with rhabdomyolysis after participating in an intense offseason workout. Poutasi was one of three players who were hospitalized with the condition. In addition to rhabdo, Poutasi claimed other injuries, including swollen arms, muscle aches, kidney damage, and the loss of use of his arms.

Now, according to the student newspaper the Daily Emerald, Poutasi is filing suit, claiming the named defendants were negligent.

Poutasi’s suit came on the heels of a similar negligence lawsuit from former Ducks player Doug Brenner. The third player who suffered injuries stemming from the incident, tight end Cam McCormick, is not party to either suit.

Related: Lawsuit Seeks $11.5M from Rhabdo-Causing Incident

Related: Overly Aggressive Workouts Put Athletes at Risk of Rhabdomyolysis

"The well-being and safety of our students are our top priorities at the University of Oregon," an interim spokesperson for the UO said. "We have been advised of the litigation filed today but have not been served a copy of the complaint, at which point we will respond appropriately in the court proceedings. In light of the pending litigation, we don’t have any additional comment at this time."

Poutasi’s suit seeks $5 million in damages, according to the case filing.

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