Under California law, a wrongful-death lawsuit can legally settle at any point before a verdict is read into the court record—even if jurors are already deep into deliberations.
That procedural rule is what brought a sudden end to the civil case filed by the family of Tyler Skaggs against the Los Angeles Angels, stopping the trial just as jurors were nearing a decision. The settlement ends the case entirely, but it does not amount to a legal finding of fault or an admission of wrongdoing.
For readers watching from the outside, the timing can feel confusing—even suspicious. In reality, this is often the most predictable moment for a civil case to resolve.
What You Need to Know
A wrongful-death settlement during jury deliberations is a private legal agreement, not a court ruling. It replaces the uncertainty of a jury verdict with guaranteed compensation. No damages are “awarded,” no liability is formally decided, and no precedent is created.
What actually changed once the jury went behind closed doors
By the time jurors began deliberating, the legal die was largely cast. Weeks of testimony were over. Experts had testified. Lawyers had delivered their closing arguments. The only thing left was a number—and who would be ordered to pay it.
At that point, both sides gained something they did not have before: clarity about risk.
Juror questions about damages, requests to review testimony, and the structure of verdict forms often signal how responsibility is likely to be divided and whether a substantial financial award is coming. Even without knowing the final vote, lawyers can usually tell when a case is tipping in one direction.
That is why so many civil cases—especially wrongful-death suits—settle late. It is not about panic. It is about certainty.
What the jury was deciding before everything stopped
This was never a criminal trial. No one in this courtroom was being asked to decide guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Instead, jurors were working through a narrower civil framework under California law.
They were asked to determine whether the Angels were negligent in their supervision of a team employee, whether that negligence played a substantial role in Skaggs’ death, and how responsibility should be divided among multiple parties. Only after answering those questions would damages be calculated, including future earnings and emotional loss.
Those answers never became official, because the settlement froze the process before the verdict could be delivered.
The one thing the settlement does — and does not — say
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It does guarantee compensation without appeal
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It does end the lawsuit permanently
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It does not legally assign fault
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It does not reflect a court’s judgment
This distinction matters. Settlements are contracts, not conclusions.
How settlement numbers are actually worked out this late
When a wrongful-death case settles during deliberations, the dollar figure is rarely a shot in the dark. By this stage, both sides know the realistic range of outcomes.
Plaintiffs weigh the possibility that jurors could reduce damages, assign blame elsewhere, or return a defense verdict. Defendants face the risk of a massive award, punitive damages, and years of appeals. Insurance coverage limits, deductibles, and consent requirements often play a decisive role behind the scenes.
What emerges is usually a number that reflects what lawyers believe the jury was about to do—discounted slightly so everyone walks away without the risk of losing everything.
What happens immediately after a settlement is announced
Once the judge is told a settlement has been reached, the courtroom process ends quickly. Jurors are dismissed, deliberations stop, and verdict forms are void. The judge does not weigh in on fault or damages. The court’s role becomes purely administrative.
From that moment on, the case exists only as a settlement agreement waiting to be finalized.
When the family actually receives the money
Payment does not arrive instantly, but the process is usually straightforward. First, the written settlement agreement is finalized and signed. Then insurers release funds, often within 30 to 60 days depending on policy terms.
Because wrongful-death claims involve multiple beneficiaries, courts typically review how the settlement is divided among surviving family members. Attorneys’ contingency fees and litigation costs are deducted before the remaining funds are distributed.
Only after those steps are completed does the family receive payment.
How this case reached this moment
The civil case did not exist in a vacuum. It followed a long and painful sequence of events.
Skaggs died on July 1, 2019, during a team road trip after ingesting a fentanyl-laced pill. A federal investigation later led to the conviction of Eric Kay, a team employee who was sentenced to 22 years in prison. That criminal case established individual responsibility, but it did not resolve questions of organizational liability.
The wrongful-death lawsuit that followed took years—marked by discovery battles, expert testimony, and delays—before finally reaching trial. More than 30 days of testimony later, the jury began deliberating. Within days, the case was over.
Procedure is not the same as justice — but it is how civil law works
This settlement does not rewrite history, undo a death, or answer every moral question surrounding the case. What it does is bring finality. No appeals. No retrials. No years of uncertainty.
That is why civil law allows settlements so late in the process. The system prioritizes resolution over spectacle.
What this means for everyone else
For employers and organizations, the case is a reminder that civil exposure can extend long after criminal accountability is resolved. For families, it shows how leverage often peaks at the very end of trial. For insurers and defendants, it underscores a hard truth of litigation: the closer a jury gets to deciding damages, the more expensive uncertainty becomes.
FAQs
Can a wrongful-death case really settle after jurors start deliberating?
Yes. Until a verdict is officially entered, settlement remains legally available.
Does settling mean the defendant admitted fault?
No. Civil settlements typically include no admission of liability.
Will the jury’s internal decision ever be made public?
No. Once jurors are dismissed, their deliberations have no legal standing.
Does this affect the criminal case?
No. Criminal convictions and civil settlements operate independently.
Is this common in high-stakes civil trials?
Very. Many of the largest settlements occur when verdicts are imminent.
Editorial rule of thumb: when the headlines stop at “they settled,” Lawyer Monthly explains what that actually means.
