In This Section
TV Guide Spotlight
Also on TVGuide.com
|
« Today's News: Our Take
John Ritter's Family Loses Wrongful-death Lawsuit
Amy Yasbeck and daughter by Barry King/WireImage.com
John Ritter's family lost their wrongful-death lawsuit against the late actor's doctors on Friday, and the jury cleared the radiologist and cardiologist of negligence charges. Ritter died unexpectedly in 2003 from a torn aorta.
Jurors on the case, which was worth $67 million to the Ritter family, believed that Ritter did not follow the advice of his radiologist, Dr. Matthew Lotysch, to seek the advice of a physician following a 2001 body scan. Dr. Joseph Lee, who treated Ritter the night before his death, was the other defendant in the case.
The case was brought by Ritter's widow, Amy Yasbeck, and his four children. The family has collected $14 million in previous settlements regarding Ritter's death. Ritter was starring in ABC's 8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter when he died.
What's your view on the ruling? Should the doctors have been found negligent, or were they unfairly accused? — Anna Dimond
Use our Online Video Guide to see clips of John Ritter.
Related:
• John Ritter's Widow Testifies at Wrongful-death Trial
• Henry Winkler Testifies in John Ritter Lawsuit
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 4:44 PM
|
|
My "view on the ruling"? How about: I wasn't in the courtroom, heard none of the testimony, and have no idea how the judge's instructions to the jury went. So my take is, why would anyone ask what my view on the ruling is? My view on the ruling is, it (the case) is apparently decided.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 5:20 PM
|
|
Staley, you took the words right out of my mouth. Precisely.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 6:20 PM
|
|
ditto
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 6:46 PM
|
|
I cannot see how getting public opinion on this private case is helpful to a still grieving family.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 8:48 PM
|
|
How on earth would any of us know? We weren't at the trial and didn't hear any of the evidence. The shame of too much of the legal system now days is that it views ANY adverse medical outcome as an a priori case of malpractice. How I'd like to see that standard of practice applied to lawyers -- in that case the Ritter family should sue their lawyer!
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 9:52 PM
|
C'mon people. This is a blog. It's a forum for open discussion. Anna has every right to ask opinions. Sure our opinions don't COUNT for anything, but they canbe entertaining.
I for one, feel for the Ritters but believe the jury probably made a good decision. This was a civil suit. So there is no innocent/guilt... it's just about how liable the doctors were for the death and how much monetary worth was attached to mistakes.
As much as a void this verdict must seem to his family, I hope they can now find a little closure and move on.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 10:15 PM
|
|
The jury took only 15 minutes to come back with a not guilty. Yasbeck already got the $14 millions. No need to milk it. That $14 millions may be overturned because of this non-$67 millions verdict. John Ritter died because he did not took his health seriously because of a prior examination. His wife can't go around blaming people for that.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 10:49 PM
|
|
God Bless John Ritter and his family.
|
|
Mar 15, 2008 12:07 AM
|
|
God Bless John Ritter and his family.
|
|
Mar 15, 2008 12:11 AM
|
|
Family got screwed!!!!!!!!
|
|
Mar 15, 2008 7:30 AM
|
I was watching an old video about his wife interview. She was such a good actress, Emmy should give her an award!!!
If every patient dies want to sue his/her doc, I don't want to imagine what kind of healthcare will be in this country?!
The justice system has not failed me!!!
|
|
Mar 15, 2008 8:12 AM
|
|
His death was a tragedy, but medicine is by no means exact. Most doctors and nurses do the best they can, but they don't have all the answers. I'm sorry for the family, but IMO they should never have sued.
|
|
Mar 15, 2008 12:29 PM
|
I really liked John Ritter, feel sympathy for his family, and am no big fan of medical institutions and their ilk- BUT: he did not follow up on medical recommendations two years prior (!!!).
Medical professionals certainly can and do make mistakes as humans can and do; it is up to us to be proactive PREhabilitatively- by following up on recommendations, not forgetting, not rationalizing that 'it's not that important', etc- we are ultimately responsible for our own wellbeing. I'm really sorry that he didn't follow up that body scan, but it's not the fault of the radiologist/cardiologist that he didn't. It's just a very sad situation.
|
|
Mar 15, 2008 1:31 PM
|
I'm sorry for the family, and for we the viewers who won't be able to enjoy John Ritter's talent and ability anymore but maybe this was the right ruling by the jury (again - wasn't there but I digress).
But I had read that Amy Yasbeck and the Ritter family planned to use this settlement money to set up facilities to educate the public about the problem that John had, which apparently is not too widely known.
It's not like they were keeping the $67 million for themselves....
|
|
Mar 15, 2008 3:08 PM
|
|
|
