Family of Actor Bill Paxton Sues Hospital in California for Wrongful Death

The family of Bill Paxton has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a Los Angeles hospital and the surgeon who performed the actor’s heart surgery shortly before he died.

The suit filed against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center alleges the surgeon, used a “high risk and unconventional surgical approach” that was unnecessary and that he lacked the experience to perform, and that he downplayed the procedure’s risks.

And it alleges the hospital knew the surgeon, Dr. Ali Khoynezhad, tended to “engage in maverick surgeries and show suboptimal judgment.”

The misguided treatment caused Paxton to suffer excessive bleeding, cardiogenic shock and a compromised coronary artery, the suit alleges.

Paxton’s death certificate says he died Feb. 25, 2017, from a stroke, 11 days after surgery to replace a heart valve and repair aorta damage. He was 61.

Paxton’s widow, Louise, and children, James and Lydia, brought the lawsuit.

It seeks unspecified damages and reserves the right to add more defendants who work for the hospital as their roles and names become clear.

Cedars-Sinai said it could not offer public comment about Paxton’s case.

Khoynezhad has since left Cedars-Sinai for another hospital.

The lawsuit comes just before the first anniversary of the death of Paxton.

Paxton played major supporting roles in the films “Apollo 13,” “Titanic,” and “Aliens,” and starred in the HBO series “Big Love.”

Paxton, who was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, was among the industry’s busiest actors.

He had nearly 100 credits, and was starring in the CBS drama “Training Day” when he died.