While Melissa Rivers is still mulling over filing a reportedly multimillion dollar wrongful death lawsuit against Yorkville Endoscopy, the Manhattan clinic that operated on her mother Joan Rivers before she died, a new report from the federal government's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has sharply criticized the ear, nose and throat practice for negligent behavior that contributed to the late comedienne's death.
According to ABC News, the CMS report accuses Yorkville Endoscopy of not only "fail[ing] to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention during [Rivers'] procedure" but also allowing Rivers' own personal physician "to perform a laryngoscopy even though she 'was not a member of the medical staff and was not privileged at the facility.'"
Not only was Joan Rivers allegedly operated on by a doctor without her consent, but — in a piece of news that has especially outraged Melissa Rivers — the surgeon even took a "selfie" photo with the 81-year-old celebrity while she was under anesthetic. All the while, according to federal investigators, clinic staff members were not properly tracking Rivers' levels of sedation or the signs that her health began to rapidly decline while in the operating room, consequently leading to a cardiac arrest that ultimately claimed the comedienne's life.
To say that this all seems to represent a gross instance of medical malpractice goes without saying. If you have ever lost a loved one while they were in a physician's care and believe that negligence may be responsible, contact The Meyers Law Firm. Our expert attorneys can assess your wrongful death claim and fight in court for any damages you might be owed.