Joan River's family reached a settlement with Yorkville Endoscopy in New York City, the site of the botched procedure that led to the comedian's death in 2014, according to a The New York Times.
Here are eight key notes:
1. The physicians Melissa Rivers, Ms. Rivers' daughter, named in the lawsuit in 2015 accepted responsibility for Ms. Rivers' death. Gwen Korovin, MD, an ENT specialist; Renuka Bankulla, MD, the main anesthesiologist as well as two other anesthesiologists; and Lawrence Cohen, MD, the ASC's former medical director, were all named in the suit.
2. The specific dollar amount of the settlement was not disclosed. However, the lawyers for the Rivers' family noted it was "substantial."
3. The physicians will not contest the lawsuit's findings, which include a number of serious mistakes that occurred during a routine laryngoscopy for the late Ms. Rivers.
4. In August 2014, Ms. Rivers was admitted to the ASC for an elective procedure. Ms. Rivers struggled to breathe under sedation due to a laryngospasm, leading to cardiac arrest. A New York medical examiner concluded Ms. Rivers' "death resulted from a predictable complication of medical therapy," in October 2014.
5. Among the series of mistakes that led to the cardiac arrest was the late identification of deteriorating vitals signs and delayed resuscitation efforts. Additionally, Ms. Rivers' weight was not recorded prior to sedation and an unprivileged provider — Dr. Korovin — was allowed to administer care to Ms. Rivers.
6. Dr. Cohen also took a photo of Dr. Korovin and Ms. Rivers while Ms. Rivers was unconscious, and told the staff in the room Ms. Rivers might want to see the photo in the recovery room. Neither Ms. Rivers nor the clinic authorized the use of the phone or the photo.
7. Melissa Rivers engaged the law firm Gair, Gair, Conason, Steigman, Mackauf, Bloom and Rubinowitz to investigate Yorkville Endoscopy in October 2014.
8. In the aftermath of the incident, Yorkville Endoscopy lost its American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities accreditation. In addition, Dr. Cohen stepped down as medical director. The ASC is now accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.
Melissa Rivers said in a statement that she was happy to be "able 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," according to the Times.