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Ritter's Family Sues Hospital
John Ritter's family believes the actor, who died suddenly last year from a previously undetected heart problem, could have been saved had the doctors who treated him diagnosed him correctly.
As a result, the former Three's Company star's loved ones have filed a medical malpractice and wrongful death suit against Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, where Ritter was treated.
The suit, filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that the hospital and its staff "caused the untimely death of [Ritter] by misdiagnosing his condition and, as a consequence, failing to provide proper treatment in connection with an ascending aortic aneurysm that would have saved his life."
Ritter was rushed to the hospital from the set of his ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter last September after he complained of "chest pain and tightness, nausea, vomiting and dizziness," according to the suit.
He was initially misdiagnosed with an acute myocardial infarction, then with pericardial tamponade, the suit states.
Actually, Ritter was suffering from a "large ascending aortic aneurysm with a severe dissection," according to the suit. Doctors were unable to save him and he died at the hospital that night.
The suit was filed on behalf of Ritter's wife, Amy Yasbeck, the couple's daughter, Stella, and the actor's children from his first marriage, Carly, Tyler and Jason.
In addition to the hospital, several doctors are named as defendants, as well the Burbank Emergency Medical Group.
The family is seeking general damages, wrongful death damages, medical expenses and funeral and burial expenses.
"If proper procedures had been followed to diagnose and treat Mr. Ritter's symptoms," the suit states, "he would be alive and well today."
The hospital released a statement acknowledging that it received a letter of intent regarding the suit, but declined to comment on the suit itself.
"At this time we have not seen the complaint, and, therefore, it would be premature to make any comments," the statement read.
"When Mr. Ritter was originally admitted to our hospital, his family asked that no information on his illness be released by the hospital. We will continue to honor this request. We extend our deepest and most sincere sympathy to the Ritter family for their loss."
Meanwhile, Ritter is gone but not forgotten, as the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences proved in July when it recognized the late actor with a sentimental nomination for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in 8 Simple Rules. The Emmy Awards will be presented Sept. 19 in an ABC telecast.
Yasbeck called her husband's nomination "both beautiful and bittersweet."
"I am thrilled the Academy recognized John for his work on a show that meant so much to him," she said in a statement.
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