The doctor and hospital named in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Bill Paxton‘s family denied negligence and claim the Aliens actor was aware of the dangers related to his “maverick” surgery.
The 61-year-old Paxton died Feb. 25, 2017 from a stroke 11 days after a surgery to replace his aortic valve and repair an aortic aneurysm.
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Almost a year after his death, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Paxton’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Dr. Ali Khoynezhad. The family claims the doctor and hospital failed to tell the actor the procedure was “beyond the scope” of Khoynezhad’s experience. They also claim Paxton suffered complications during the procedure and there was a delayed reaction because the doctor left the operating room.
The family said if they were aware of the dangers of the surgery, Paxton would likely have declined it, reports The Daily Mail.
“We are pursuing accountability and justice from a physician and a hospital that failed to adequately protect Mr. Paxton,” the family said in a statement in February.
On Thursday, the doctor and hospital responded, claiming Paxton was aware of “certain dangers and risks involved” in the surgery, reports The Blast. They said Paxton also had “an existing condition” before the surgery.
The defendants are asking the judge in the case to dismiss the lawsuit.
“State and federal privacy laws prevent us from commenting about patient care without written authorization,” Cedars-Sinai said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter in February. “But we can share the following: Nothing is more important to Cedars-Sinai than the health and safety of our patients. These remain our top priorities. One of the reasons for our high quality is that we thoroughly review concerns about any patient’s medical care. This process ensures that we can continue to provide the highest quality care.”
Khoynezhad is a respected thoracic and cardiac surgeon based in Long Beach, California and has been in practice for more than two decades, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Paxton was a beloved character actor and a three-time Golden Globe nominee for his starring role in HBO’s Big Love. He also earned an Emmy nomination for the History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys.
Paxton’s long list of credits include Aliens, True Lies, The Terminator, Twister, Titanic and Edge of Tomorrow. His last film was The Circle.
At the time of his death, Paxton starred in CBS’ TV adaptation of Training Day.
Paxton was survived by his wife, Louise, and their two children.
