A $6 million settlement has been reached by a medical\nmalpractice attorney for the family of Neil Armstrong, who was the first human\nto walk on the moon, after the former astronaut died following heart bypass\nsurgery in 2012.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The settlement, which was kept secret for years after\nit was reached in 2014, came to light in July of 2019 after an anonymous source\nsent\ncopies of legal documents<\/a> in the case to The New York Times<\/em>, according to a story in the paper. Until that\ntime, the settlement was supposed to remain confidential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The case provides a fascinating and dramatic backdrop\nfor many similar legal cases that are decided in the courts but are then immediately\nsealed from public view, leaving no word on their disposition. In the case of\nthis truly recognizable and famous American, now we all gain a view into what\nhappened in the background following Armstrong\u2019s death, which is why we here at\nMyPhillyLawyer<\/em> are sharing it today\nwith our readers and clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The medical dispute and the\nthen-secret settlement came to light in July 2019, just days after the 50th\nanniversary of Armstrong\u2019s moon walk, which put the landmark event back into\nthe headlines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe New York Times\nreceived by mail from an unknown sender 93 pages of documents related to the\nastronaut\u2019s treatment and the legal case, including dueling reports by medical\nexperts for the two sides,\u201d the paper reported. \u201cSome of the documents, though\nmarked \u201cfiled under seal,\u201d are publicly available at the\nprobate court\u2019s website<\/a>, confirming that the documents received by\nThe Times are authentic. An unsigned note included in the envelope said the\nsender hoped the information would save other lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Armstrong, 82, had entered Mercy\nHealth \u2013 Fairfield Hospital in Cincinnati in August of 2012 for heart bypass\nsurgery and was on his way to recovery, the story reported. \u201cBut when nurses\nremoved the wires for a temporary pacemaker, he began to bleed into the\nmembrane surrounding the heart, leading to a cascade of problems that resulted\nin his death on Aug. 25,\u201d the story continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a lawsuit filed by his\ntwo sons, the family contended that Armstrong\u2019s post-surgical care led to his\ndeath, the story reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the removal of\nthe temporary pacemaker wires, Armstrong\u2019s blood pressure dropped and he was\ntaken to the hospital\u2019s catheterization lab, where an echocardiogram showed \u201csignificant\nand rapid bleeding,\u201d according to one expert hired by the plaintiffs. \u201cThere,\ndoctors drained some blood from his heart, to prevent it from being pressed and\nhampered by the accumulated fluid,\u201d the story continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was then moved from the catheterization lab to an operating room,\nand then on to a continued stay in the hospital. Experts brought in by the\nplaintiffs criticized the hospital\u2019s decision to take Armstrong to a\ncatheterization lab rather than directly to an operating room when he began to\nexperience complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The hospital insisted the care was appropriate, but settled the case privately\nfor $6 million to avoid devastating publicity on the eve of the 50th<\/sup>\nanniversary of Armstrong\u2019s moon walk, the story reported. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Armstrong was the first human being to walk on the surface of the\nmoon on July 20, 1969, as the commander of NASA\u2019s Apollo 11 mission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Legal cases like this one occur around\nthe nation every day and are examples of similar kinds of medical malpractice\nor personal injury cases that MyPhillyLawyer<\/em> attorneys\nregularly work on tirelessly for our own clients. We handle complex medical\nmalpractice cases and catastrophic motor vehicle crashes involving tractor\ntrailers, plus many other cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\nneed a medical malpractice or personal injury lawyer<\/a>, we here at MyPhillyLawyer<\/em> stand\nready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever\nseriously injured in any kind of cancer surgery or diagnosis, transvaginal mesh\nimplant, surgical or medical procedure, car crash, slip and fall,\nworkplace injury or wrongful death in Philadelphia or anywhere in the United\nStates. We pledge to make sure that you and your family get the compassionate,\ndogged and experienced legal representation that you deserve and expect from a\nprofessional legal team which works hard to uncover every fact to bolster your\ncase and maximize your damage award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\nrepresent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure\nthat their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to\nreceive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Talk to a\nPhiladelphia medical malpractice attorney at MyPhillyLawyer<\/em><\/a> by calling 215-227-2727 or toll-free\nat 1-(866) 352-4572 anytime and our experienced, compassionate,\naggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your\nfamily every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n