Bad news for Simona Halep in $10 MILLION lawsuit. “Frivolous claims” + “contributory negligence”, harsh response from Canada
Quantum Nutrition Fires Back in Simona Halep’s $10M Lawsuit, Calls Claims “Frivolous” and Alleges “Contributory Negligence”
Simona Halep has taken legal action against Quantum Nutrition, Custom Food Packaging, and General Ingredient after testing positive for roxadustat, alleging contamination in a supplement she consumed. The Romanian star is seeking $10 million in damages, but Quantum Nutrition has now issued its first legal response.
Halep, through her U.S. attorneys, filed the lawsuit on February 15, 2024, in the Supreme Court of New York. She is targeting Quantum Nutrition, a Toronto-based company owned by brothers John and Konstantinou Koveos, which provided the Keto MCT supplement that led to her positive doping test. The supplement was supplied to her former team, led by coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
With the trial set to begin in early April, Quantum Nutrition’s defense team has outlined its strategy, aiming to avoid liability. The company plans to invoke an active insurance policy from the time of the alleged contamination at the 2022 US Open.
Quantum Nutrition’s lawyers argue that Halep’s damages were a result of her own actions, citing “contributory negligence” and “assumption of risk.” According to their legal filing, obtained by GSP, the defense asserts:
“Any damage suffered by the plaintiff was caused by her own culpable conduct, including contributory negligence and assumption of risk, and not by any wrongful conduct or negligence on the part of the defendant.”
If the court accepts this argument, Halep could be denied compensation entirely, even if she is found to bear only a small degree of responsibility. The company further claims that Halep was aware of the risks associated with her professional activities, stating:
“Through her involvement in the activity at the time of the alleged event, the plaintiff understood the inherent dangers and voluntarily assumed the risks. Any injuries or damages suffered arose from those voluntarily assumed risks.”
Additionally, Quantum Nutrition accuses Halep of destroying key evidence, though they do not specify what was allegedly lost. Their legal filing states:
“The plaintiff’s claims are time-barred to the extent that she destroyed evidence necessary for the fair defense of the claims made.”
Finally, the company’s lawyers are seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed altogether, branding Halep’s allegations as “frivolous” and requesting that the court order her to cover their legal costs and attorney fees.
As the legal battle unfolds, Halep faces a significant challenge in proving her case, with Quantum Nutrition aggressively pushing back against her claims.
