Five years on from the passing of Slipknot bassist Paul Gray, Iowa courts have ruled that his daughter, October Gray is eligible to take legal action against her father’s doctor, despite not being alive at the time of his death.
Reports The Des Moines Register, Justice Daryl Hecht ruled that even though she may not have been alive at the time, Gray’s passing will still have a strong impact on October now aged 5. That is the loss of her father’s love and emotional support (known as consortium).
“Whatever deprivation of consortium (October Gray) is currently experiencing is no less real just because she did not experience it while in utero,” commented Hecht. With that, October is entitled to seek damages from Dr. Daniel Baldi, who was Gray’s doctor and accused of the death of eight other patients due to his allegedly careless prescriptions.
The decision comes after October’s mother Brenna had a lawsuit against Dr. Baldi which was rejected on account of it being filed two years outside of the statute of limitations.
Gray was found dead in an Iowa hotel room on May 24, 2010 with a cocktail of drugs in his system – ones Baldi’s lawyers argue their client didn’t prescribe to his patient. Brenna would later reveal Gray’s rapid decline, and claimed even his band mates refused to help. Grey apparently agreed to seek help the day before he died.
Baldi was acquitted in May 2014 of seven criminal counts of involuntary manslaughter.
