Family sues doctor over singer’s drug addiction

The family of the late US musician, Prince, is suing his doctor over claims he failed to treat him for an opioid addiction.

The family’s lawsuit alleges that failures by Dr. Michael Schulenberg played a “substantial part” in the star’s death, Yahoo quotes the Telegraph as saying.

Prince died from an accidental overdose of Fentanyl, a powerful opioid, in April 2016.

Dr. Schulenberg has denied any wrongdoing, although he paid $30,000 to settle a federal civil violation alleging that he prescribed a drug illegally.

Earlier this year, US prosecutors announced that no charges would be brought over the singer’s death. But the family’s lawsuit, filed in Hennepin County District Court this week, alleges that Schulenberg and others had “an opportunity and duty during the weeks before Prince’s death to diagnose and treat Prince’s opioid addiction, and to prevent his death. They failed to do so.”

According to the complaint, first reported by ABC News, the family of the singer — whose real name was Prince Rogers Nelson — is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $50,000.

Prince was found unresponsive in a lift at his Paisley Park Studios, Minnesota, on April 21, 2016. An investigation revealed he had experienced significant pain for a number of years and hundreds of different types of painkillers were found at his home.