Iowa residents may be aware that Bill Paxton’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the medical facility where the actor died and the doctor who treated his heart condition. The family claim that the surgeon involved was inexperienced and not qualified to perform an unconventional procedure on the 61-year-old ‘Big Love” star. The lawsuit seeks damages for the actor’s allegedly negligent diagnosis, treatment and management.
The Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has denied the allegations contained in the lawsuit. In a statement released on May 3, the hospital claims that Paxton’s family was well aware of the dangers posed by the surgery and were informed about all aspects of the actor’s treatment and care. The hospital also says that Paxton’s family knew about an existing medical condition that made the operation even riskier.
The family has a very different version of events. They claim that both the hospitals and Paxton’s misrepresented the nature of the surgery and failed to tell them about the risks. The “Terminator,” ‘Twister” and “Tombstone” actor died in February 2017 after undergoing heart surgery to address an aortic aneurysm and replace a valve. A medical examiner later determined that the actor had died after suffering a stroke.
Pursuing wrongful death litigation against defendants with deep pockets and reputations to protect can be challenging for family members who have lost a loved one, but attorneys with experience in this area may point out that the standard of proof in civil cases is not as daunting as it is in criminal trials. To prevail, the plaintiffs in civil matters must establish that their allegations are more likely true than not, and personal injury attorneys may seek to meet this burden in wrongful death cases involving medical malpractice by calling on experts and specialists.
Source: People, Bill Paxton’s Surgeon and Hospital Deny Responsibility for His Death, Mike Miller, May 3, 2018