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

Bill Paxton was known for his roles in 'Apollo 13' and 'Twister' and, most recently, the 'Training Day' reboot.

Bill Paxton
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Image via Getty/Christopher Polk

Bill Paxton

Bill Paxton’s family has announced they are suing Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for wrongful death, per The Hollywood Reporter. Paxton died a year ago, in February 2017, due to complications from surgery after having a stroke at 61 years old. His family allege that the doctor recommended an unconventional surgery without properly explaining the risks.

Paxton was known for his roles in Apollo 13, Twister, and in the HBO series Big Love. His career was long, and he also appeared seminal movies such as Aliens, Terminator, Titanic, and even alongside Ice Cube and Ice T in Trespass. Most recently, he played Detective Frank Roarke in the CBS revival of Training Day.

Paxton’s wife and children claim that the doctor who operated on Paxton “failed to disclose that it was an unconventional approach” and “beyond the scope” of the doctor’s experience. Court filings show that the doctor had allegedly left the operating room when Paxton began having serious complication during the surgery, resulting in a delay in treatment. Furthermore, the family claims the hospital itself was reckless to allow the doctor to perform a “maverick” surgical procedure and then failed to discipline the doctor when it went wrong.

In response, the Cedars-Sinai hospital provided the following statement to THR on Tuesday:

"State and federal privacy laws prevent us from commenting about patient care without written authorization. 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." 

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