Barbara Gayle and Jerome Reynolds, Star Writers

National footballer Jermaine Hue has filed a multimillion dollar lawsuit against the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the national football team doctor, Dr Carlton Fraser.

The suit was filed in the Supreme Court on September 16 by attorney-at-law Ransford Braham, who is being instructed by the law firm Patterson, Mair and Hamilton.

Hue is suing for breach of contract and is seeking damages for battery and negligence. He is also seeking special damages in the amount of US$10,000.

In court documents, Hue is contending that his football career has suffered because of his nine-month suspension on September 25, 2013 after testing positive for the banned drug, Dexamethesone.

Hue said after participating in the matches against Mexico and the United States in 2013, he travelled to Honduras with the national team. He further said, while there, he complained to Dr Fraser that he was fatigued and was experiencing pain in his leg because of the previous matches for the national team.

Prohibited substances

He said the team doctor injected him with a substance which later turned out to be on the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) list of prohibited substances. Hue said at no time prior to him being injected with the substance was he informed by Dr Fraser that the substance was on the banned list.

He further said the doctor's decision to permit the injection was done without his informed consent which constitutes battery on the part of Dr Fraser. He said he was suspended from all football activities in July 2013 and was prevented from receiving any financial support.

In addition, he said his suspension was caused by the breach of contract by the JFF and also Dr Fraser's negligence.

He said the action of the defendants has resulted in him sustaining financial losses which were attributed to his inability to play professional football since July 2013.

Hue said in July 2013, he was in advanced discussions with top El Salvadoran Association Football Club, Aguilar, for US$2,500 per month for the contract period August to December 2013.

He said he had to abandon pursuing the contract because of the suspension. Hue added that at the end of the contact with Aguilar, he was scheduled to return to Jamaica to represent the Harbour View Football Club, where his salary would have been $100,000 per month.