When John Ritter died unexpectedly at the young age of 54, the world mourned an actor who was famous not only for his television comedy work on the hit Three’s Company and its less popular spin-off Three’s a Crowd, but also for his ubiquitous presence in TV and movies, with guest spots on everything from Hawaii Five-O to Felicity to Scrubs. And it seems that his death was not only unexpected, but unnecessary as well, or, at least, that is what his widow is trying to prove in her wrongful death lawsuit against doctors at the California hospitals where he was treated.
Her hope is that penalizing the doctors for their medical malpractice in his case, to the tune of $67 million in damages, will both further publicize his condition to help future sufferers and keep the doctors accountable for following-through on recommended treatment. When Ritter went to the hospital after suffering severe nausea, vomiting, and chest pain on his daughter’s 5th birthday, an emergency room doctor recommended a chest x-ray. However, none was performed, and instead his cardiologist, thinking Ritter had suffered a heart attack, prescribed anticoagulants, which could only have worsened his condition, an aortic dissection, a tearing of the inner layer of the aorta, the primary artery by which blood is conveyed to the body from the heart. The lawsuit contends that if a chest x-ray had been performed, the condition might have been identified.
Medicine is a tricky business, and doctors unfortunately make mistakes all the time. However, there is no excuse for doctors jumping to conclusions without following through on necessary diagnostic tools. If you have suffered or lost a loved one as a result of a doctor’s carelessness or failure to diagnose your condition, you need an experienced medical malpractice attorney. In Phoenix, Arizona, contact the law firm of Snyder & Wenner, P.C. for a free initial consultation.
