Bill Paxton’s family has settled its wrongful death/medical malpractice lawsuit against Dr. Ali Khoynezhad and Cedars Sinai Hospital for a confidential amount.
Paxton, who starred in films including “Apollo 13,” “Titanic” and “Aliens” and in television series including “Big Love,” died on Feb. 25, 2017.
The cause was a stroke that came 11 days after surgery to replace a heart valve and repair aorta damage, according to his death certificate.
The lawsuit, filed a year later, alleged that the surgeon, Dr. Ali Khoynezhad, used a “high risk and unconventional surgical approach” that was unnecessary and that he lacked the experience to perform, and that he downplayed the procedure’s risks.
The lawsuit further alleged that Cedars Sinai knew that the surgeon engaged in such high risk surgeries and allowed him to continue.
According to a court filing obtained by the Associated Press, the suit was filed against Los Angeles hospital Cedars-Sinai Medical Center more than four years ago by Paxton’s wife, Louise Newbury, and their two children, James and Lydia. It had been scheduled to go to trial next month, however the settlement was agreed to in a filing with the Los Angeles Superior Court.
While we don’t know the terms of the settlement, many medical malpractice lawsuits are resolved just prior to trial. At times, this is a good thing for the family. However, a trial allows the family to know the circumstances surrounding the death or injury of a loved one. Many facts previously unknown to the family are revealed at trial since the defense must disclose all the documents and facts surrounding the death of the loved one.
