Neil Armstrong’s Family Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Hospital

 Posted on August 13, 2019 in Medical Malpractice

While most doctors, nurses, surgeons, and other healthcare providers are competent to provide quality medical care, medical mistakes do happen. In fact, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports that medical negligence is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. In 2012 alone, over $3 billion dollars was spent in payouts for medical malpractice lawsuits.

Medical errors can affect all types of patients. In fact, the family of acclaimed astronaut Neil Armstrong believes that the 82-year-old’s death was a result of medical negligence. Until recently, this information had been kept secret, but now details about the case are emerging.

Family Says Hospital Caused Armstrong’s Death

Astronaut Neil Armstrong has had an incredible life to say the least. In addition to being the first man to walk on the moon, he also fought in the Korean War, won the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and had three children. Armstrong’s family, however, says that his incredible life came to an end too soon. Armstrong developed coronary disease and required bypass surgery in 2012. He made it through the surgery but then developed complications which eventually caused his death.

Lawsuit Alleges that Mishandling of a Pacemaker Caused Armstrong’s Death

Although the public was not aware of it at the time, Armstrong’s family brought a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital in which Armstrong died. They allege that problems first arose when a nurse removed wires from a temporary pacemaker. Armstrong reportedly started bleeding into the membrane surrounding this heart which eventually caused his death. According to one Harvard-educated doctor, the death was preventable. Dr. Ashish Jha says that hospital staff should have taken Armstrong back into the operating room as soon as they realized that he was having a substantial bleeding.

Family Will Receive Nearly $5.2 Million Dollars

Although the hospital that is accused of negligently causing Armstrong’s death denies that any medical malpractice took place, the hospital still agreed to a settlement of more than $5 million dollars. The settlement will reportedly be split between ten of Armstrong’s family members. Armstrong’s widow was the executor of his estate. She signed off on the settlement but says she did not receive any of the payout money.

Contact an Illinois Medical Malpractice Attorney

If your loved one has passed away or you were harmed by poor medical care, contact the Rockford medical negligence attorneys at Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Injury Law. Schedule a free consultation with our office by calling us today at 815-215-7561.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2013/05/16/10-things-you-want-to-know-about-medical-malpractice/#729556ab416b

https://people.com/human-interest/neil-armstrong-wrongful-death-settlement-report/

https://www.news4jax.com/inside-edition/did-neil-armstrong-die-because-of-shoddy-medical-care