Former Cleveland Browns wide receiver David Bell is suing a pair of surgeons for nine figures because he claims unnecessary surgery ended his NFL career way too early.
On Thursday morning, attorneys for the Purdue standout released a statement on a lawsuit they filed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , that claims Dr. Bill Meyers, Dr. Adam Zoga, and Jefferson Healthcare entities have been perpetrating a scheme to perform "unnecessary" surgeries to earn hundreds of millions in fees from victims. Yet, that was not the boldest claim in the suit.
The former Browns receiver alleges that he was a victim of one of those surgeries to repair a core muscle. However, the procedure did not go as planned, as he suffered an injury to his femoral artery. That injury required emergency vascular treatment to save his life. The mistake during the initial surgery was what allegedly led to the end of his playing career after just three seasons.
Jan. 7, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver David Bell (18) catches a passin the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory credit: Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports via The Cincinnati Enquirer
"We undertook a year-long investigation into this matter in which a number of truly world-leading surgeons and radiologists examined the matter, with many of them doing so on a no-fee basis. The findings were nothing short of astonishing and give us a high degree of confidence that we can prove that hundreds of millions of dollars going to Dr. Meyes, Dr. Zoga, Jefferson, and the Vincera Institute to perform these surgeries were prioritized over the basic medical principle of First Do No Harm, as we have alleged in the complaint," the statement said.
Bell's attorney claims the doctors pushed for him to have "core muscle repair" surgery following what they saw in pelvic MRI findings despite not being a candidate for the procedure. The lawsuit also alleges 14 other patients were victims of a similar "conspiracy" to misrepresent injuries found in examinations and push for expensive surgical remedies.
Bell was a third-round pick by the Browns out of Purdue in the 2022 NFL Draft. He received limited game action during his first two seasons. In Week 2 of the 2024 campaign, he suffered a dislocated hip, which led to the pelvic MRI by the defendants and the surgery Bell's lawyer claims was unnecessary.
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