United States women's national team midfielder Savannah DeMelo has filed a lawsuit against University of Louisville Health (UofL Health) and two doctors, Dr Sarabjeet Suri and Dr Jennifer Daily, for alleged negligence.
The 28-year-old, who plays for Racing Louisville, suffered a heart attack on the pitch during a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) match on 14 September 2025. She has not played since her collapse.
According to documents, the lawsuit was filed on Tuesday morning with Jefferson Circuit Court in Kentucky. DeMelo's filing claims UofL Health and the doctors "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."
The lawsuit states that Dr Daily, Racing Louisville's chief medical officer, referred DeMelo to Dr Suri in March 2025 for "evaluation and treatment" after DeMelo reported chest pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Nearly six months later, DeMelo suffered the cardiac arrest and was subsequently diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia.
DeMelo marked the anniversary of the incident on Instagram, stating she collapsed due to an undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia. She described the past year as emotionally hard with a lot of uncertainty.