Movie fans in North Carolina were saddened when Bill Paxton passed away in February 2017. The 61-year-old star of movies including “Twister,” “Apollo 13” and “True Lies” died just 11 days after undergoing surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm and replace his bicuspid aortic valve in Los Angeles. His family claims that the surgeon who worked on the actor and the Beverly Grove medical facility where the surgery was performed are responsible for his death.
Paxton’s family members claim in a wrongful death lawsuit that the surgeon carried out an improper procedure, and they allege that the hospital acted negligently by allowing the surgery to take place. According to his family, complications from the surgery caused the stroke that claimed Paxton’s life. The actor developed heart problems after suffering rheumatic fever during childhood. A press release from the family points out that the surgeon no longer works at the hospital named in the lawsuit.
Paxton made his name appearing in feature films, but most of his later work was in television. He received praise in the 2000s and 2010s for his roles in critically acclaimed shows like “Big Love,” and he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on “Hatfields and McCoys.”
Hospitals and doctors are rarely willing to admit that their negligent actions caused a preventable death. When representing the dependent family members of individuals who have died following botched medical procedures or because they received inadequate care, experienced personal injury attorneys may look for evidence that suggests culpability could be understood even if it is being denied publicly. Such evidence may include the defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit ending long-standing business relationships shortly after the events in question took place.