Former Cleveland Browns receiver David Bell says a surgery presented as relatively low-risk nearly cost him his life and ended his NFL career.
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The 25-year-old filed a lawsuit Thursday in Philadelphia seeking more than $300 million in damages from Jefferson Health entities and other defendants, including surgeon Dr. William Meyers, according to the New York Post.
Bell alleges he was persuaded to undergo an unnecessary core muscle procedure known as "Meyers Repair" to address lingering pain from a previous hip injury.
David Bell, No. 18 of the Cleveland Browns, walks off of the field after an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on Jan. 13, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Credit: Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
According to the complaint, a vascular injury during the procedure required an emergency transfer to Thomas Jefferson Hospital for reconstruction. Bell alleges the emergency treatment saved his life and prevented the loss of a limb, but the complications ended his playing career.
The lawsuit also alleges that defendants misrepresented pelvic MRI findings to justify unnecessary surgeries and generate revenue. Bell says a May 19, 2025, MRI was used to classify him as a candidate for the procedure.
Those claims are allegations in a civil lawsuit. Jefferson Health had not responded to the Post's request for comment when its report was published.
"What happened to David Bell, an elite NFL athlete, ruined his career and never should have happened," attorneys Nathan Werksman and Brad Sohn told the outlet.
Cleveland selected Bell in the third round of the 2022 draft out of Purdue. He caught three touchdown passes in 2023 before a hip injury against Jacksonville in Week 2 of the 2024 season ended his year.
The surgical complication described in the lawsuit occurred during the following offseason. Sohn said Bell's legal team spent a year investigating the case with assistance from surgeons and radiologists.
