Dana Carvey Donating Malpractice Award To Charity
TruthS...@fiction.com
>lawsuit Friday against the surgeon who operated on the performer's wrong
>artery during a double bypass heart surgery in 1998.
>
>The former "Saturday Night Live'' star's lawyer declined to disclose terms
>of the settlement but said the comedian planned to donate the money to
>charity.
>
>"We are very satisfied with the result and pleased that Dana can get this
>behind him,'' San Francisco attorney David Baum said in a telephone
>interview.
>
>Carvey, who lives in nearby Marin County, sued Dr. Elias Hanna in San
>Francisco Superior Court after the mistaken March 1998 bypass procedure --
>which necessitated a subsequent angioplasty to clear the blood vessel that
>was actually blocked.
>
>Hanna's lawyer could not be reached for comment but has argued that the
>doctor made an honest mistake precipitated by Carvey's "unusual anatomy.''
>
>During the two-week trial, Carvey testified that the mistake and angioplasty
>put his life in jeopardy and cost him more than $7 million in lost acting
>work.
>
>Carvey, who has recently returned to television by filling in for David
>Letterman on the CBS "Late Show'' and an appearance on the ABC hit game show
>"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,'' told People Magazine that the second
>operation was successful and his good health has been restored.
>
>"I didn't want to go to court and I don't seek this kind of publicity,''
>Carvey said in an interview with the magazine for its June 5 issue. "But I
>felt this was a matter of right and wrong. There was no letter of apology or
>explanation, no phone call. I wanted to be satisfied the surgeon would not
>be hurting someone else and would acknowledge his error.''
>
>
>
Its unbelievable that he's donating it to charity. What a credit to
him.
This wasn't some bullshit celeb lawsuit. I'm a lawyer and liability
is clear in this situation. The "anatomy is unusual" defense can't be
accurate, it's so laughable. That's why you go to a heart surgeon for
bypass surgery and not a dermatologist. What bullshit. Carvey had an
angiogram, that would show his "weird anatomy."
The only reason I can think it went to trial was because the insurance
company for the doc thought they could win on damages. That maybe
they could keep it below three or four million.
Jeez, how'd you like to have this doc as your heart surgeon? Do you
put an X on your chest with a sign that says "cut here." ?????
Anyway, Carvey deserves much credit for giving it to charity, minus
the 40% that probably went to his lawyer. This wasn't Tom Cruise
suing a tabloid because they accused him of needing instruction on how
to appear passionate towards his wife in "Eyes Wide Shut." Carvey's
case was a real personal tragedy.
Unnecessary open heart surgery! It boggles the mind!