Bill Paxton's family reach settlement with hospital over death

2022-08-20

Bill Paxton’s family reach settlement with hospital . . . five months after $1 million settlement with medical group over actor’s death

The family of late actor Bill Paxton has agreed to settle wrongful death lawsuit
It was against a Los Angeles hospital and the surgeon who performed his heart surgery shortly before he died in 2017, according to a court filing Friday
It was originally filed against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center more than four years ago and had been scheduled to go to trial next month
However attorneys for Paxton’s wife of 30 years, Louise, and their two children, James and Lydia, filed a notice in Los Angeles Superior Court that they had agreed to settle the case
Paxton, who starred in films including Apollo 12, Titanic and Aliens and in television series including Big Love, died on Feb. 11, 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 downplayed the procedure’s risks’
The move comes five months after the family reached a $1million settlement with a medical group

The family of the late actor Bill Paxton has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit against a Los Angeles hospital and the surgeon who performed his heart surgery shortly before he died in 2017, according to a court filing Friday.

The move comes five months after the family reached a $1million settlement with a medical group.

The newly-settled suit, filed against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center more than four years ago, had been scheduled to go to trial next month.

However attorneys for Paxton’s wife of 30 years, Louise, and their two children, James and Lydia, filed a notice in Los Angeles Superior Court that they had agreed to settle the case.

Peace: The family of the late actor Bill Paxton has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit against a Los Angeles hospital and the surgeon who performed his heart surgery shortly before he died in 2017, according to a court filing Friday, as the family are seen in January 2011

‘The matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties,’ plaintiffs’ lawyers Bruce Broillet and Steve Heimberg said in a statement.

The terms are confidential, the attorneys said. Emails seeking comment from the defendants were not immediately returned. The agreement must still be approved by a judge.

Paxton, who starred in films including Apollo 12, Titanic and Aliens and in television series including Big Love, died on Feb. 11, 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 newly-settled suit, filed against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center more than four years ago, had been scheduled to go to trial next month but attorneys for Paxton’s wife of 30 years, Louise, and their two children, James and Lydia, filed a notice in Los Angeles Superior Court that they had agreed to settle the case, the family are seen in September 2005

A lawsuit against Dr. Ali Khoynezhad alleged he 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, 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 misguided treatment caused Paxton to suffer excessive bleeding, cardiogenic shock and a compromised coronary artery, the suit alleged, and said that Cedars-Sinai knew that Khoynezhad, tended to ‘engage in maverick surgeries and show suboptimal judgment.’

The defendants said in court documents that Paxton and his family knew and understood the risks involved in the procedure, and voluntarily went on with the surgery. The defendants’ said there was no negligence that led to his death.

The four-year legal battle was marked by frequent attempts by the Paxton family to extract more discovery evidence from the hospital, and frequent court hearings over the issue.

Icon: Paxton, who starred in films including Apollo 12, Titanic and Aliens and in television series including Big Love (pictured), died on Feb. 11, 201

Back in February the family were awarded $1million in a different settlement with a medical group.

The actor’s family sued Dr. Moody Makar, the anesthesiologist for Paxton’s February 2017 surgery, and General Anesthesia Specialists Partnership, in February 2018.

The group denied responsibility for Paxton’s death, stating their, ‘personnel complied with the standard of care insofar as their involvement in the care and treatment of … Paxton, and nothing their personnel did or didn’t do caused or contributed to his death.’

While the group, ‘denies liability in this matter,’ they added the settlement will, ‘reasonably compensate plaintiffs and avoid exposing defendant to an expensive and time consuming litigation.’

Back in February the family were awarded $1million in a different settlement with a medical group, Paxton and son James are seen in January 2017

The attorney for Makar and General Anesthesia Specialists Partnership, Robert Reback, said the settlement dismisses Makar from the settlement without payment, adding the settlement was, ‘a business decision.’

The lawsuit was first filed by Bill Paxton’s widow and their children in February 2018.

Paxton, who was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, was among the industry´s busiest actors from the early 1980s until his death, amassing nearly 100 credits, including Twister and Weird Science.

He was starring in the CBS drama series Training Day when he died.

Paxton, who was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, was among the industry´s busiest actors from the early 1980s until his death, amassing nearly 100 credits, including Twister and Weird Science, the family pictured September 2005

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