The family of late musician Chris Cornell has officially reached a settlement regarding their 2018 lawsuit against Dr. Robert Koblin. After the singer/ songwriter’s suicide in May 2017, the family suspected that drugs prescribed to Cornell by Koblin “impaired [his] cognition, clouded his judgment, and caused him to engage in dangerous impulsive behaviors that he was unable to control, costing him his life.”

The Cornell family sued Koblin for “negligence, failure to obtain informed consent and willful misconduct.” The family also believes that Koblin’s failure to warn the “addiction-prone individual” about possible side effects of his prescribed medications contributed to his eventual death.

Although the medical examiner of the case stated that “drugs did not contribute to the cause of death,” the singer’s widow, Vicky Cornell, claimed that his death was caused by overprescribed medication.

The Cornell family’s lawyer Melissa Lerner stated in court documents, “After years of litigation and settlement negotiations, Plaintiffs and Defendants Robert Koblin, M.D., Robert Koblin, M.D., Inc. and Robertson Cardiovascular Center, LLC (collectively, ‘Defendants’) have reached a confidential settlement agreement to resolve all claims asserted by each Plaintiff.”

Lerner went on to defend the court documents remaining sealed saying, “Over the past several years, online trolls and other unstable individuals have harassed Plaintiffs, including by threatening the life and safety of [the Cornells’ children]. As recently as the past few weeks, Plaintiffs have received death threats online. Furthermore, the increased attention to this case has led to other invasions of Plaintiffs’ privacy.”

In December of 2020, Vicky Cornell sued Soundgarden for allegedly withholding royalties. In February of 2021, the widow sued them again due to a buyout offer for Chris’ shares in Soundgarden. In March, a judge recommended the dismissal of two out of the six claims filed by Vicky Cornell against the group. 

Chris Cornell’s posthumous final album, No One Sings Like You Anymore was surprise-released by his estate in December of 2020. The album featured the artist’s covers of songs by John Lennon, Electric Light Orchestra, Prince and more. Vicky Cornell confirmed the second volume of the album in February.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat