Johannesburg: Joan Rivers’ family has settled a medical malpractice lawsuit against the New York City clinic after the comedian died post routine endoscopy. The family’s attorneys on April 12 confirmed the news and said that they were pleased to have the case resolved, but declined to specify the amount of the settlement, reports Channel24. The 81-year-old comedian died on September 4, 2014, days after she went in for a routine procedure at Yorkville Endoscopy on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and stopped breathing. Melissa Rivers, daughter of the star of ‘Fashion Police’ filed a medical malpractice lawsuit in 2015 in state Supreme Court in Manhattan that alleged doctors performed unauthorised medical procedures, snapped a selfie with the comedian and failed to act as her vital signs deteriorated. Attorneys Ben Rubinowitz and Jeff Bloom said in a statement that the family wanted to “make certain that the focus of this horrific incident remains on improved patient care and the legacy of Joan Rivers.” Rivers said the settlement allows her to “put the legal aspects of my mother’s death behind me and ensure that those culpable for her death have accepted responsibility for their actions quickly and without equivocation.” She said in the statement issued by her lawyers that she will continue working to ensure higher safety standards at out-patient surgical clinics.
