Melissa Rivers Settles Medical Malpractice Suit Over Joan Rivers Death
Melissa Rivers has reached a settlement in the medical malpractice lawsuit she brought against doctors regarding the death of her mother, comedian Joan Rivers, who died in 2014.
“In accepting this settlement, I am able to put the legal aspects of my mother’s death behind me and ensure that those culpable for her death have accepted responsibility for their actions quickly and without equivocation,” Melissa wrote in a statement via US Weekly.
“Moving forward, my focus will be to ensure that no one ever has to go through what my mother, [my son] Cooper and I went through and I will work towards ensuring higher safety standards in out-patient surgical clinics," she continued. "I want to express my personal gratitude to my legal team for their wise counsel and prompt resolution of this case.”
Melissa brought the lawsuit against the Yorkville Endoscopy Clinic after evidence came to light suggesting the doctors involved in her mother’s surgery -- which was meant to be a simple throat procedure -- did not follow protocol, allegedly resulting in Joan's death.
In November 2014, ABC 7 reported the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that “physicians in charge of the care of the patient failed to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention during the procedure.”
The lawsuit was settled for an unspecified amount of money, which was a conscious decision on Melissa’s part.
Her statement ends, "We have agreed to keep the terms of the settlement confidential to make certain that the focus of this horrific incident remains on improved patient care and the legacy of Joan Rivers."