Savannah DeMelo Files Negligence Lawsuit After Cardiac Arrest
Savannah DeMelo, a rising figure in the United States women’s national team setup, has filed a negligence lawsuit against a Kentucky hospital and two of its doctors after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch last year.
The 28-year-old Racing Louisville midfielder, capped seven times by the USA, collapsed during the first half of a National Women's Soccer League match on 14 September 2025. She has not played since.
Lawsuit filed a year after on-field collapse
Court documents seen by BBC Sport show that DeMelo’s legal team filed the case on Tuesday morning with Jefferson Circuit Court in Kentucky, exactly one year and one day after her collapse.
The lawsuit names University of Louisville Health (UofL Health), Dr Sarabjeet Suri and Dr Jennifer Daily as defendants. It alleges they "failed to act as a reasonably prudent and competent medical practice, and such negligence was a substantial factor in causing DeMelo to suffer severe physical injuries, including, but not limited to, her cardiac arrest."
Dr Daily is listed on her UofL Health biography as Racing Louisville’s chief medical officer. According to the filing, DeMelo was under her care from January 2024 to July 2026.
The suit states that in March 2025, after DeMelo reported chest pain, dizziness and shortness of breath, Dr Daily referred her to Dr Suri for “evaluation and treatment”. Dr Suri, the documents say, took a history, carried out a physical examination and ordered diagnostic tests.
Almost six months later, DeMelo collapsed on the field and went into cardiac arrest. The lawsuit notes she was subsequently diagnosed and treated for ventricular tachycardia, an abnormal heart rhythm.
Career halted and a personal toll
DeMelo has spent her entire professional career with Racing Louisville and had been on an upward trajectory, earning a place in the USA squad for the 2023 Women's World Cup and starting their first two matches at the tournament.
Since the incident, she has been sidelined from competitive action, her career effectively frozen while she undergoes treatment and recovery.
On Tuesday, she marked the anniversary of her collapse with a post on Instagram, describing the scale of what she has endured.
"A year ago today, while playing soccer, I collapsed due to an undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia, that caused me to go into cardiac arrest," she wrote.
"I respect and appreciate the privacy everyone has met me with while going through everything I have this year. I'll never be able to fully put into words how emotionally hard this year has been. There has been a lot of uncertainty and emotions intertwined with it all."
Her case now moves from the pitch to the courtroom, with the outcome set to shape not only her own future, but potentially the medical standards around elite athletes in the women’s game.
