Bill Paxton's Family Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Hospital, Surgeon

Nearly a year after actor Bill Paxton's death, his family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital and surgeon who treated him during his final days.

According to a news release, the Edge of Tomorrow actor's family has filed legal action against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and the surgeon who operated on Paxton, who died Feb. 25 at age 61.

They claim that the surgeon, Ali Khoynezhad, performed an improper procedure that led to the death of the actor. Paxton's official cause of death was listed as a stroke, suffered 11 days after he underwent heart surgery.

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

The family claims that Khoynezhad's actions, combined with the inactions of Cedars-Sinai, caused Paxton to suffer serious complications that resulted in his death.

"We are pursuing accountability and justice from a physician and a hospital that failed to adequately protect Mr. Paxton," plaintiff attorney Steve Heimberg added. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The suit document alleges that Paxton consulted Khoynezhad, Cedars-Sinai and others in connection with cardiac conditions that included bicuspid aortic valve and aortic aneurysm. According to the lawsuit, Khoynezhad and others recommended that Paxton undergo surgery for aortic aneurysm.

"Based upon information and belief, heart surgery was not indicated," the complaint reads.

Paxton underwent surgery on Feb. 14, 2017, after his family alleges that the hospital and surgeon "misrepresented and/or concealed information relating to the risks of surgery and care that would be provided and/or failed to adequately explain the proposed treatment or procedure and/or failed to disclose that [Khoynezhad] was going to use a high risk and unconventional surgical approach with which he lacked experience and which was, based upon information and belief, beyond the scope of his privileges," the suit contends.

The document says that the Training Day actor suffered multiple complications and that Khoynezhad was not in the operating room, "and based upon information and belief, not in the hospital," when the actor began to experience surgery-related complications.

The suit alleges that the surgeon left "without arranging fox continuous care and coverage ... and failed to timer return to the operating room upon notification of the complications, causing a delay in treatment resulting in damage."

Khoynezhad left his position as a surgeon at Cedars-Sinai shortly following Paxton's death, the release states.