CHICAGO (AP) -- Former Chicago Bears cornerback Anthony Blaylock has been awarded $3.85 million in a lawsuit stemming from surgery he contends led to the end of his career.The lawsuit was filed against a Chicago surgeon who removed a scar from Blaylock's knee after the 1993 season.
After the surgery, Blaylock developed bursitis in the knee. That meant another surgery and time in a cast, which led to tendinitis. The injuries ended his football career.
Blaylock's lawyers had argued that the orthopedic surgeon, Daniel Nagle, never warned Blaylock of the risks associated with the scar-removal procedure. Joseph Power and Larry Rogers also argued that Nagle should have advised Blaylock to wait until his career was over to have the surgery, which they described as cosmetic.
A Cook County jury sided with Blaylock last Thursday.
Blaylock hugged jurors after the verdict and lamented the abrupt end of his career.
``I never met the goals I set for myself in professional football,' he said. ``I was just reaching my peak.'
Nagle, a specialist in hand surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, said he didn't warn Blaylock about the possibility of developing bursitis because that is not a known risk associated with the surgery. He also denied that the bursitis was caused by the surgery.
Nagle also repaired Blaylock's broken finger during the 1993 season.
Blaylock played nine games for the Bears in 1993 after being acquired from the San Diego Chargers as a free agent. He made 37 tackles and two interceptions. He was paid $1.3 million in 1993 and was in line to make $840,000 in 1994 and $740,000 in 1995 if he had been able to play.
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