Chris Cornell was well informed about the dangers of the anti-anxiety medication he was taking at the time of his death, according to the rocker's former doctor.
Dr. Robert Koblin is denying allegations made by the Soundgarden frontman's widow that he over-prescribed drugs to her late husband, insisting he had nothing to do with Chris' 2017 death.
According to documents obtained by The Blast, Koblin claims he is covered by a malpractice law that protects doctors when a death occurs as a result of a patient's ongoing disease or condition.
He also alleges Cornell asked "not to be informed" of all the risks associated with taking anti-anxiety medication, and insists he did everything in his professional capacity to help the rock star.
Cornell's widow, Vicky, sued the doctor late last year (18), claiming he prescribed the singer over 940 dozes of Lorazepam in the last 20 months of his life, and believes it contributed to his suicide in a Detroit, Michigan hotel room.
However, Dr. Koblin insists he followed procedure to the best of his ability.
He has requested that the wrongful death suit be dismissed.
The lawsuit news emerges a day after Vicky Cornell testified before U.S. lawmakers in Washington, D.C., urging members of the Bipartisan Heroin and Opioid Task Force to do more to tackle the nation's opioid crisis.
Drawing from her own family's tragedy, she doubled down on her claims against Koblin, saying, "The part that hurts most is Chris' death was not inevitable, there were no demons that took over. Chris had a brain disease and a doctor who unfortunately, like many, was not properly trained or educated on addiction."
She also called on politicians to crack down on medics overprescribing pills which can be addictive, according to TMZ.
"We must integrate addiction treatment into our health care system - no more false narratives about the need to hit rock bottom, no more secret societies, no more shame - we must educate health care providers on how to treat addiction and best support recovery," Vicky declared during Monday's (25Feb19) hearing.
In the wake of her husband's death, she has made it her mission to raise awareness about addiction as a disease and combat the stigma associated with the illness to help save others facing similar struggles.
