Wrongful Death

Actor Bill Paxton’s Files a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against LA Surgeon

In February of 2017, famous actor Bill Paxton was diagnosed with two heart-related disorders. One was a bicuspid aortic valve (a congenital condition), and the other was an aortic aneurysm. Though the bicuspid aortic valve wasn’t debilitating, Paxton was told by a heart surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles that his aortic aneurism was life-threatening and that he would need surgery.

The surgery went forward as planned; however, Paxton started to experience complications afterwards. The surgeon was nowhere to be found during his aftercare which caused him to receive delayed treatment that resulted in several injuries. His health continued to worsen, and he sadly died of a stroke 11 days after his surgery.

In January 2014, parents Sara and Padraig Keenan entered into a nightmare when their 3-month-old daughter was found in her crib choking after being breastfed.

The couple was hosting a houseguest who worked as an EMT and who was able to revive the baby girl and got her breathing again. Frantically, the parents called 911 and emergency medical technicians from Exchange Ambulances were sent to their home.

The family could never have foreseen the terrible string of events that were about to occur.

In 2008, Brookdale University Hospital was at the center of one man’s grief when it was revealed that his grandmother had died as a result of poor treatment and neglect by the hospital and medical center personnel.

When filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, Thomas Stephens revealed that Brookdale personnel’s mistakes and carelessness caused the wrongful death of his grandmother, Nora Stephens, who ultimately died from complications caused by pressure ulcers.

Nora developed pressure ulcers on her skin during her stay at Brookdale, yet these were not treated, and the stage four ulcers worsened and became so severe that she suffered from a blood infection followed by gangrene in both of her feet.

One of the most famous wrongful death lawsuits is the Hartman versus Pfizer Hollywood lawsuit which occurred in the early 1990s.

In 1998, Phil Hartman, a well-known comedian and Saturday Night Live actor, was shot and killed by his wife, Brynn, who then turned the gun on herself and took her own life. What appeared to be a murder-suicide case soon turned into a wrongful death lawsuit, after Brynn’s brother sued Pfizer Pharmaceuticals which manufactured the anti-depressant Zoloft.

According to Brynn’s brother, Brynn had been prescribed Zoloft due to chronic panic attacks, low self-esteem, and depression. His argument is that the drug, which was very popular at the time, drove her to insanity which then caused her to shoot her husband and herself after a late-night argument. 

Wrongful death is the legal and medical term used to describe your death, or the death of someone you know, due to the negligence or reckless behavior of other people or institutions. In the medical context, and in medical malpractice law, these people are doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, and other healthcare professionals or healthcare organizations.

Wrongful Death Claims

Generally, it is your immediate family who will seek a wrongful death claim in the instance of your wrongful death. The most common reason for your family wanting to file a wrongful death lawsuit is to obtain compensation for the damages that have occurred as a result of your death. These damages can be financial and/or emotional.

What Is Wrongful Death?

Wrongful Death occurs when you, or someone you know, is killed because of a healthcare practitioner’s negligence or misconduct – whether intentional or not.

It is different from medical malpractice in that medical malpractice occurs when your healthcare provider is negligent, and you are harmed but your injury isn’t fatal. Wrongful death, on the other hand, occurs when you, or someone you know, dies as a direct result of medical negligence.  

New York City wrongful death lawyers can provide legal representation whenever someone has been killed due to negligence or wrongdoing. A wrongful death attorney can