‘Peril!’ the death of the champion attributed to medical malpractice

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The parents of “Jeopardy!” Champion Brayden Smith sued a hospital in Henderson and Dignity Health on Monday, claiming medical malpractice caused the death of the Liberty High School graduate from colorectal surgery.

“His last days have been a nightmare,” says the lawsuit. “His death was foreshadowed by the misconduct of the doctors and nurses. None of this had to be.

District court records show Smith’s parents Scott and Debbie have taken legal action against Dignity Health; St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Siena Campus; Fidelity Home Health Services; two doctors; and St. Rose nurses.

Lawyers Robert and Sydney Murdock prepared the lawsuit, which arose out of Smith’s death on February 5. He was one of the last “Jeopardy!” invited to appear with host Alex Trebek.

The lawsuit says Smith, 24, suffered from ulcerative colitis and underwent surgery in January in St. Rose to remove his colon. He claims he never received blood thinners after surgery and died of pulmonary embolism or blood clots in his lungs, almost three weeks later.

Robert Murdock declined to comment on the lawsuit. Dignity Health spokesperson Gordon Absher said in an email: “We have not had the opportunity to properly review this document.”

Smith was a UNLV graduate, National Merit Scholar semi-finalist and Quiz Bowl veteran. He won $ 115,798 over his five “Jeopardy! ” appearances. The people of Las Vegas Valley closely followed his victories in a game show that made him a celebrity around the world.

“I’m just glad we got to do it,” he later said in a video interview released by the show. “And I was happy to have been able to show what I was capable of. Every moment I was there, going from the third lectern to the champions’ desk, I wanted to stay there as long as possible.

Of Trebek, who was 80 when he died in 2020 from pancreatic cancer, Smith said, “Everyone knows he (was) sick. To have a brave face and to go out there every day and continue to give America and the world a good mood, especially this year, is a real testament to how great a person he was.

The lawsuit says the Murdocks retained medical experts who determined Smith’s treatment “was below standard of care.”

One such expert, colon and rectal surgeon Keith Beiermeister of California, said in a statement that Smith was ill in 2019 and was treated by Dr Godwin Ofikwu in St. Rose. Smith was hospitalized in December 2020 and January 2021.

“He suffered from malnutrition, was extremely weak and was a very sick young man,” says the lawsuit.

According to the document, it became evident that a surgical procedure known as abdominal colectomy with terminal ileostomy was required. Subsequently, according to the lawsuit, Ofikwu ordered “anticoagulation,” but there was no specific order for blood thinners such as heparin.

“It appears that Brayden did not receive any anticoagulant,” Beiermeister said in her statement, adding that “in surgery like this the standard of care requires both mechanical and chemical anticoagulation.”

“The medical literature is clear that patients undergoing colorectal surgery compared to general surgery have a significant increased risk of embolism,” he wrote.

Ofikwu and Dr Irfana Razzaq are named accused in the trial. Beiermeister alleged that Razzaq, a hospitalist, failed to ensure that anticoagulants were given to Smith.

“The nurses’ notes do not indicate that any of the nurses inquired about this problem,” Beiermeister wrote.

According to Beiermeister’s statement, Smith collapsed at his home on January 29 and died seven days later.

A registered nurse retained by the Murdock office, Tara Bohannon of California, filed a statement with the lawsuit saying Smith was discharged home without sufficient training in how to manage his health after colorectal surgery.

“He didn’t come home with enough knowledge, and I understand it was very frustrating for Brayden,” Bonhannon wrote. “He also did not return home with sufficient and appropriate supplies.”

Brayden’s parents said after his death they honored their son’s memory by establishing the non-profit Brayden Smith Memorial Fund to help fund the education of aspiring southern Nevada students who dream big, like their son. did it.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at [email protected]. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.

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