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It has already been two years since the death of Joan Rivers. Her death, which was in 2014, occurred as a result of an outpatient medical procedure that went wrong. While the exact dollar amount has not yet been made public, the case was settled in May 2016. The case of Joan Rivers attracted headlines for the duration of the trial, but her case is nothing unique. In fact, thousands of Americans each year die because of preventable medical errors. It is estimated by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies that 1.5 million individuals are injured because of preventable medical errors, too.
In 2015, a lawsuit was filed against five physicians from the Yorkville Endoscopy group. The physicians consisted of ear, nose and throat specialists, the clinic’s director, and anesthesiologists involved in the case. Joan Rivers had entered the clinic complaining of a hoarse voice and sore throat. She was scheduled for a laryngoscopy – where they examine the vocal cords and voice box – as well as an endoscopy.
During the procedure, an anesthesiologist commented that Rivers’ swollen vocal cords could compromise her breathing, but the physician pressed on anyway. Her chords eventually closed during the procedure, which denied Rivers necessary oxygen; she went into cardiac arrest. She died several days later after being on life support with no chance of recovery.
There were quite a few disturbing factors discovered during this investigation – and the errors and omissions found led to Rivers death. Sadly, most of these were preventable.
If you or a loved one was injured due to a preventable medical error or a physician’s lack of care, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries. You will need your case assessed by a Connecticut medical malpractice attorney first. Contact Berkowitz and Hanna LLC today to schedule your no-obligation consultation. Contact us online to get started.
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