Savannah DeMelo Files Lawsuit After Cardiac Arrest Incident
Savannah DeMelo, a rising figure in the United States women’s national team setup, has filed a negligence lawsuit against a Louisville hospital and two of its doctors after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch last year.
The 28-year-old Racing Louisville midfielder 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 the case was lodged on Tuesday morning with Jefferson Circuit Court in Kentucky, exactly one year and a day after DeMelo’s collapse.
The suit names University of Louisville Health (UofL Health) and two physicians, Dr Sarabjeet Suri and Dr Jennifer Daily, and accuses them of failing in their duty of care.
According to the filing, 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."
Dr Daily is listed on her UofL Health biography as Racing Louisville’s chief medical officer. The lawsuit states DeMelo was under her care from January 2024 to July 2026.
Warning signs and a missed window?
The legal claim outlines a critical timeline. In March 2025, months before the incident, DeMelo reported chest pain, dizziness and shortness of breath.
Dr Daily, the suit says, referred her to Dr Suri for “evaluation and treatment.” He took a medical history, carried out a physical examination and ordered diagnostic tests.
Almost six months later, DeMelo collapsed on the field and went into cardiac arrest.
"She was subsequently diagnosed and treated for ventricular tachycardia [an abnormal heart rhythm]," the filing states, framing the on-pitch emergency as the culmination of an underlying, undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia.
Career on hold, emotions laid bare
DeMelo has spent her entire professional career with Racing Louisville and had been on an upward trajectory. She broke into the USWNT, earned seven senior caps and was selected for the USA squad at the 2023 Women's World Cup, starting the team’s first two matches.
Since that night in September 2025, she has not returned to competitive action.
On Tuesday, she marked the anniversary of her collapse with a post on Instagram, offering a rare glimpse into a year dominated by uncertainty.
"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."
The legal process will now run alongside the personal battle she has been fighting for 12 months: protecting her health, confronting what happened, and facing the question that still hangs over her career – will she ever step back onto the pitch for club and country?
