O'Neal's mother joins lawsuit

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The mother of a University of Missouri football player who died after collapsing during a July preseason workout has joined a wrongful death lawsuit filed by her estranged husband against university officials.

Deborah O'Neal joined the suit against athletic director Mike Alden, head coach Gary Pinkel, team medical director Rex Sharp and 11 trainers and strength coaches on Oct. 11.

Her ex-husband Lonnie O'Neal filed the suit on Aug. 23, the same day Boone County medical examiner Valerie Rao released an autopsy report that listed viral meningitis as the probable cause of reserve linebacker Aaron O'Neal's death.

The 19-year-old collapsed on Faurot Field about 45 minutes into the hourlong workout. He died later that afternoon. Rao determined swelling in O'Neal's brain affected his heart and caused him to lose his ability to breathe properly.

James Bartimus, a Kansas City lawyer representing Deborah O'Neal, said his client remains distraught over her son's sudden death.

"This whole thing has just been devastating to everybody," he said.

Hamp Ford, the attorney representing the 14 Missouri officials, has asked the Boone County Circuit Court to dismiss the case.

Missouri law allows Deborah O'Neal to join the lawsuit as a member of the class -- in this case, Aaron O'Neal's immediate family -- that suffered damages, Bartimus said. If a monetary settlement or judgment is reached and the two sides cannot agree, the presiding judge would divide the award, he said.

The lawsuit accuses university officials of failing to recognize signs of medical distress that could have prevented O'Neal's death.

An autopsy report and investigation by Rao, found that O'Neal repeatedly lost his balance during a stretching exercise and complained of blurred vision.