Joan Rivers’ daughter Melissa has filed a lawsuit again the New York City clinic where her mother stopped breathing during a routine procedure on her vocal cords. The comedienne died just a week after the surgery at the age of 81.
Difficult Decisions to File Lawsuit
In speaking about the lawsuit she’s filed against Yorkville Endoscopy Center she said it was, “one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make.” She went on to say, “What ultimately guided me was my unwavering belief that no family should ever have to go through what my mother, [my son] Cooper and I have been through. The level of medical mismanagement, incompetency, disrespect, and outrageous behavior is shocking and frankly, almost incomprehensible.
Protecting Future Patients
Rivers filed the lawsuit to protect other future patients. “Not only did my mother deserve better, every patient deserves better. It is my goal to make sure that this kind of horrific medical treatment never happens to anyone again.”
Irreversible Damage
Last November the New York State Department of Health ruled that mistakes made by Joan’s doctor in addition to the clinic’s staff caused the longtime host of E!’s “Fashion Police” irreversible brain damage. According the the department’s report, “The physicians in charge of the care of the patient failed to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention during the procedure.”
