Late Actor Bill Paxton’s Family Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit

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The settlement comes four years after the lawsuit was first filed.

Although the late actor Bill Paxton, known for memorable roles in movies like Titanic and Aliens, passed away over five years ago, his family has only now settled their lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The Paxton family filed a wrongful death lawsuit over four years ago. The suit alleged that the hospital and Paxton's attending Dr. Ali Khoynezhad, acted "negligently, carelessly, recklessly and unskillfully," performing an "unconventional" surgery that added unnecessary post-surgical risks, according to Deadline.

11 days after Paxton had heart surgery to repair damage to his aorta and replace a heart valve, he had a fatal stroke on Feb. 25, 2017. The actor was 61 years old.

The lawsuit claims that Dr. Khoynezhad wasn't in the hospital when the stroke and complications from the surgery took place which slowed down medical treatment. It also notes that the surgeon left his job at Cedars-Sinai shortly after Paxton's death.

The family attorney, Bruce Broillet, said in a press statement at the time, "Bill Paxton and his family trusted the physicians and staff at this medical facility but instead Cedars-Sinai betrayed their trust. The surgeon’s actions resulted in this tragic and preventable death."

The news of the family's new settlement comes after previously reaching a partial settlement with an anesthesiologist's medical group that agreed to pay $1 million, according to Deadline.

Despite the partial settlement, the suit against Cedars-Sinai and the surgeon was still set to go to trial. 

But now, attorneys of Paxton's widow, Louise, and their two children, James and Lydia, filed a notice in Los Angeles Superior Court that they had agreed to settle the case. But according to the original report, the settlement is still pending approval from a judge.

A recent statement from the Paxton family's lawyers, Bruce Broillet and Steve Heimberg, disclosed that the matter had "been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties." 

No further details about the settlement have been released, as the terms of the new agreement are said to remain confidential. 

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