Personal Injury Law

John Ritter's Widow to Speaks at Wrongful Death Trial

By Chrissie Cole

John Ritter's widow sat before jurors, on Monday, at her late husband's wrongful death trial and gave testimony about the events that led up to the actor's death in 2003.

The family is suing a radiologist who performed a body scan on him two years prior and the cardiologist who treated him on the day he died, claiming both doctors misdiagnosed his condition.

Ritter died from a torn aorta, but was treated for a heart attack. The suit seeks $67 million in damages, according to the plaintiff's claim.

Yasbeck said that in 2001, her husband went to get a body scan at her urging. The results, she recalled, were positive, at least according to Ritter.

Upon showing her the outcome of the scan, "he said, 'This is good. This is not bad for a man of my age.' He said, 'You'd better be good to me because I'm going to be around for a long time,'" Yasbeck recalled.

She said he did not mention any vascular problem diagnosed as a result of the test.

The radiologist testified Wednesday, stating he met with Ritter after the scan and informed him that he had triple vessel coronary disease and should follow up with a cardiologist or internist.

According to his wife, Ritter never mentioned the meeting.

Full post as published by Mobile Personal Injury Lawyer on March 03, 2008 (boomark / email).