Michael Jackson's father is preparing to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the King of Pop's personal physician, DR. CONRAD MURRAY, amid allegations he administered the drugs that ultimately killed his son.
Murray has pleaded not guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter after Los Angeles prosecutors charged him with administering the powerful anaesthetic Propofol to Jackson minutes before the singer went into cardiac arrest last June (09) and died.
Joe Jackson wants Murray held to account for medical malpractice and he has instructed his lawyer Brian Oxman to begin proceedings to file the wrongful death claims in Los Angeles County Superior Court next week (begs29Mar10).
Oxman tells TMZ.com the Jackson family patriarch is seeking an unspecified amount of punitive damages, economic support, loss of companionship and loss of consortium.
Joe will be the only Jackson named as plaintiff, unless Oxman is contacted by other interested family members.
However, the notice of the legal action has angered Murray's lawyer Ed Chernoff, who is confident any such claim will not be awarded.
He says, "That's like throwing a bucket of water on a man drowning in the ocean."