Chris Cornell's family sues doctor for malpractice leading to his death

Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Chris Cornell's family sued the late Soundgarden singer's doctor for malpractice for harming his mental health prior to his death last year.

The suit filed by his widow Vicky Cornell and their two minor children, alleges Dr. Robert Koblin "negligently and repeatedly" prescribed Cornell "dangerous mind-altering controlled substances," including Oxycodone and the the anti-anxiety drug Lorazepam, also known as Ativan, People reported.

The suit states Koblin failed to warn Cornell about the possible side effects of Lorazepam and the drugs "clouded [Cornell's] judgment and caused him to engage in dangerous, impulsive behaviors that he was unable to control, which cost him his life."

According to the suit, Koblin prescribed Cornell 940 doses between September 2015 and his death in May 2017.

It adds Koblin was aware Cornell was an "addiction-prone individual," who would be more prone to symptoms of Lorazepam including risk of suicide, because he was referred to Cornell through the late singer's therapist for substance abuse.

Additionally, Koblin allegedly allowed his non-physician staff to write many of Cornell's prescriptions while unsupervised.

Cornell was found dead at the age of 52 in at MGM Grand Detroit on May 18, 2017, hours after his band Audioslave had performed in the city.

His wife suggested his death resulted from overprescribed medication and autopsy and toxicology reports released showed there were traces of seven different drugs in Cornell's system at the time of his death, including a significant dose of Lorazepam.

The medical examiner, however, said the manner of death was suicide and that "drugs did not contribute to the cause of death."