TVSquad

I know first hand that this lawsuit is bullshit. The doctors knew what was wrong (and most of the time what he had doctors don't see) and tried to fix it. Just because they couldn't fix it isn't grounds for a lawsuit.

Reply

Um, unless Nabisco opened a medical school, what qualifies you in making any medical assessment? For that matter, how is the lawsuit bullshit? The guy had a pre-existing medical condition that was not diagnosed until immediately before his death. If his doctors had made choices to perform exams and take whatever pictures necessary, he may still be alive. I don't know that he could be saved, but you don't know, Oreo, that he couldn't.

And since when does the wealth of a plantiff mean they have to accept what may have been negligent medical care? Doesn't matter who paid off or how much, negligence that results in death should be punished, no matter how wealthy the deceased's family turns out to be. They couldn't "fix this" because of a missed diagnosis, and that's reason enough to believe a hospital with a known history of negligence and the doctors that work there might be to blame.

Reply

I have no idea whether or not this lawsuit has any merit, but I doubt Ms. Yasbeck needs the money. If she believes the doctors were at fault, she probably wants to prevent this from happening to another family. And sometimes a lawsuit is the only way one can get the truth as to whether or not anything was done wrong.

And if this lawsuit has no merit, then to me the judge who allows it into court and the hospital that already settled bear at least as much responsibility for it happening as a widow searching for answers.

Reply

It's been five years since he died. She received $14 million already, which already indicates medical personnel took some blame in his death. I have to agree with Brad, it's time to let it go. It doesn't paint her in a good light. She's not suing for information, she's suing for lost wages for goodness sakes. If only we all had the time and resources to sue for that every time one of our loved ones died.

Reply

i dont think she's doing it for the money, cause $14 mill is a crapload!
but maybe she really felt the doctors acted negligently and she wants to them to pay in someway (even if they are insured, this will tarnish their records and affect premiums).

while i agree that revenge doesnt solve anything and wont bring him back, i cant imagine what it would be like to lose someone because of a mistake made.

maybe its fate, maybe its karma, and maybe she's not as enlightened, but she could really be feeling a deep sense of loss.

or maybe she's a golddigger. let the courts decide.

Reply

Oreo - Sorry about the loss of your father. Very sad.

Reply

66% of the world's lawyers live in the USA, dealing with the legal needs of 5% of the world's population. If it weren't for frivolous lawsuits, what would they do?

(I didn't make that number up, it was stated on the UK TV show Q.I.)

Reply

I do not think she's doing it for the money! I think his family isn't about to let the hospital where he died forget. Goes to show what our doctors are doing now days. Absolutly nothing. Ya, nearly 5 years past, his family can not forget it. I see him such a happy guy in the "8 Simple Rules", which is one of the best shows that I have ever seen. I found it is funny, heart felled, sad, and everything: http://dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=80260&ru=279 , John ritter is priceless no matter what he did... and in the show he was just gold! WHAT A PITY! MISS HIM!

Reply

Party! US court stupidity. I just love it :-)

Reply

If the doctors were negligent then they should be sued, if not its a pointless lawsuit. Simple as that.

Reply

Why don't we wait until a judge or jury evaluates this suit before we dismiss it as frivolous or judge the character of the widow bringing the suit? Is there something that we are missing out on if we simply wait for the facts to develop before we pass judgment on the players involved? Especially when it is acknowledged that more than a hundred thousand annually lose their lives to medical error.

Reply

I'm not 100% sure about this lawsuit. Ritter's death was unfortu..... ooochimama, Suzanne Somers used to be HOT! I'd thighmaster that alllll night long, if you know what I'm saying...

Reply

He's gone. She already got a settlement. To ask for anything more is greedy. It also drives up the cost of healthcare for everyone. It won't bring him back. So just stop.

Reply

PROVIDENCE SAINT JOSEPH HOSPITAL NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED !!

On August 15, 2006 I went into that facility for a routine procedure. Following surgery, I developed a nosocomial (hospital-acquired) case of 'Man-eating Flesh Disease" ...NECROTIZING FASCIITIS. My two day stay turned into two months and 6 more surgeries to save my life and leg.

To date the hospital assumes no responsibility and says I must have had 'man-eating flesh disease' when I came there. Strange how the pre-op test never found that.

I am still healing from the ordeal and fighting to get a normal life back. Medical errors kill over 98,000 people in this country a year. Hospital infections kill another 100,000. (per the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in Atlanta.) Yet after numerous complaints while I was still in the ICU, my family could not get the LA Public Health dept to come out and investigate.

I hope the Ritter family hits them hard where it counts...the bottom line. Lucky for them and the Quaids they are famous. Otherwise they would be in the same boat as the rest of us - fighting the $250,000 MICRA CAP and unable to get justice!

www.youtube.com/AmendtheCap

Reply

Properly triaging a patient at the hospital is crucial. Ritter had an aortic dissection...not a heart condition. I had the same thing and my hospital caught it, saving my life by minutes. There are simple tests and a CT scan can find it. If you don't act fast with an aortic dissection (tear in the wall of the aorta), you die. The facts indicate a major mess-up. There are many frivolous lawsuits...this isn't one of them! Ritter's case has already made more doctors and hospitals aware of aortic dissection...it's possible his case actually helped save my life! Thanks.

Reply

I heard John Ritter had a blocked aorta not the heart it self I wonder if thats what happened.

Reply

I survived an aortic dissection in July 2004. It was originally diagnosed as Acid Reflux and I was told I could go home. Another doctor in the ER remembered John Ritter showing similar symptoms and ordered me back to bed and a CT scan that saved my life. It is a disorder frequently misdiagnosed through, I believe, a lack of experience in dealing with it. I do not believe ER doctors previously knew what to look for. Thanks in large part to the Ritter Family's sacrifice, my life and untold others' has been saved. This country's laws allow for legal action to recover damages for negligence and for lost wages. I hold no grudges towards my original doctor. He is a good man, and still my cardiologist. But in the Ritters' case, I am proof that timely intervention can save someone with our shared condition. Mrs. Ritter is a kind and generous person who has devoted a lot of time and money towards helping educate doctors about this condition, and help genetic researchers search for a cure and cause of this condition. I too hate "frivilous" lawsuits but I disagree that this is one of those. John Ritter had the potential to earn a lot of money on his future work. His celebrity status should have no more bearing on his family's right to seek compensation than it would for my wife or anyone else's. If it is proven that the doctors were negligent, and not as mere case of human error, then they should be held responsible. If not, the Jury will decide in their favor. I have never met Mrs. Ritter, but I have spoken with her. She was kind enough to contact me and wish me well. She also wants to do more to educate and help others. I am a huge fan of hers as a human being and wish her and her family nothing but the best. Those of you who criticize her for "greed" or worse are entitled to your opinions, but you are speaking from ignorance. I hope you will allow the facts to speak for themselves.

Reply