Last year, the country received a shock when it was made public that Joan Rivers was rushed to the hospital and wasn’t doing well at all. As the days passed, more and more information was made public about this tragic case. In the most recent update about this story, Melissa Rivers has decided to seek compensation for the wrongful death of her mother through a medical malpractice lawsuit. Our Kentucky readers might be interested in recapping the case and learning about why Melissa Rivers made this choice.
Rivers said that her mother deserved better than the care she received while in the care of Yorkville Endoscopy. While under sedation for a routine endoscopy, the comedienne stopped breathing. The lawsuit against the medical center claims the staff took selfies with the comedienne, performed unauthorized procedures on her and didn’t act in an appropriate manner when her vital signs deteriorated.
The comedienne died from lack of oxygen to the brain during the procedure. She went in for the endoscopy and the doctors then performed a laryngoscopy without consent. The gastroenterologist reportedly ignored the warning by the anesthesiologist about what the procedure would do to the comedienne’s ability to breathe. That gastroenterologist has since resigned.
Rivers said that filing a medical malpractice lawsuit was a very difficult decision to make. She said that her belief that no family should have to go through what she went through with her mother. The clinic is in danger of losing accreditation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services based on information gathered during an investigation.
Just as Rivers did, anyone who loses a loved one due to medical malpractice has the right to seek compensation for his or her loved one’s death. That decision doesn’t always come easy, but going ahead with the lawsuit can often give the family members the compensation they deserve.
