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Chris Cornell widow Vicki sues Soundgarden frontman's doctor over death

She accuses Dr Robert Koblin of overprescribing 'dangerous mind-altering controlled substances'

Jack Shepherd
Friday 02 November 2018 11:52 GMT
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Widow of Chris Cornell opens up about singer's death and addiction

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Chris Cornell‘s widow Vicki Cornell is suing the Soundgarden frontman’s doctor.

She accuses Dr Robert Koblin of “negligently and repeatedly” overprescribing “dangerous mind-altering controlled substances” that led to his death last year.

Cornell was found dead in a Detroit hotel room with traces of drugs found in his body. However, a coroner ruled that the cause of death was suicide.

The lawsuit against Koblin claims the substances “impaired Cornell’s cognition, clouded his judgement and caused him to engage in dangerous impulsive behaviours that he was unable to control, costing him his life”.

It was filed to the Los Angeles Superior Court and focuses largely on the anti-anxiety drug Lorazepam (Ativan) which was reportedly prescribed to the singer between September 2015 and his death on 18 May 2017. He was aged 52.

Koblin has not responded publicly to the lawsuit, which also alleges he had not physically examined Cornell before prescribing the drugs.

Vicky Cornell has previously spoken about the singer’s drug addiction, and attributed that medication to her late husband’s relapse.

“The brain of someone who has a substance use disorder is different from that of someone who doesn’t,” she told Good Morning America. ”He relapsed.”

Cornell died on the 18 May, 2017, just hours after performing with Soundgarden in Detroit.

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