Former NFL receiver files bombshell $300 million lawsuit over alleged surgery scheme that ended his career

Former Cleveland Browns wide receiver David Bell has filed a civil lawsuit seeking over $300 million in damages against Jefferson Health entities, surgeon William Meyers M.D., and 14 other defendants. Bell alleges he was misled into undergoing an unnecessary core muscle procedure called a "Meyers Repair" following a hip injury, which resulted in a near-fatal vascular injury that prematurely ended his professional football career.

The lawsuit claims the defendants engaged in a financial scheme by using fraudulent pelvic MRI interpretations to justify dubious surgeries. Bell required emergency vascular reconstruction at Thomas Jefferson Hospital to prevent fatal blood and limb loss. Bell, who entered the NFL in 2022 with the Browns, last played during Week 2 of the 2024 season.