The entertainment world was shocked when comedienne Joan Rivers went into a medical clinic for surgery and died following the procedure. Berkowitz and Hanna LLC has learned that her daughter, Melissa Rivers, has filed a lawsuit against the clinic for her wrongful death, alleging gross medical malpractice. The firm previously reported that a lawsuit of this nature was a possibility.
Melissa Rivers is suing Yorkville Endoscopy and the doctors who performed surgery on her mother prior to her December 2014 death. She alleges that the doctors made multiple mistakes and that there was “medical mismanagement, incompetency and disrespect” during the procedure. She claims that the doctors should have performed a tracheotomy when her mother stopped breathing, should have allowed her personal physician into the room and that doctors took photos on a cell phone of an unconscious Joan.
Plaintiffs in medical malpractice lawsuits when there has been a wrongful death are able to recover damages, and if the negligence is proved to be extreme, punitive damages may be awarded as well. Stopping the endoscopy clinic from harming other patients and seeking justice for her late mother seem to be Ms. Rivers’ main goals, notes Berkowitz and Hanna LLC. She was quoted as saying, “It is my goal to make sure that this kind of horrific medical treatment never happens to anyone again.”
Note: Berkowitz and Hanna LLC did not represent any of the parties in this case.
Image by David Shankbone via Flickr.com
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