AL.com reports that court records show a wrongful lawsuit was filed last week by family members of Matthew Roberts, the founding member and former lead guitarist in the band 3 Doors Down. The suit is against Dr. Richard Snellgrove and Rite Aid Corporation, and was filed in the Baldwin County Circuit Court.
Snellgrove, a doctor who practices in Fairhope, was indicted in November 2016 on six counts of illegal drug distribution in relation to Roberts’ death. That case is set to begin trial in May.
According to the wrongful death complaint, Snellgrove prescribed Roberts high levels of opioids– such as Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, OxyContin, Opana ER, Suboxone and Fentanyl– and benzodiazepines– like Xanax and Valium– from 2006 through 2012. The complaint states those prescriptions caused the musician to become addicted to the drugs.
Roberts went to rehab for his addiction in 2012, but when he was released, he returned to Snellgrove for treatment and Snellgrove again prescribed the same drugs for years, the complaint states.
Rite Aid Pharmacy in Spanish Fort filled several of Roberts’ prescriptions just days before his overdose, even though the complaint states a pharmacist there suspected Roberts had a drug addiction.
