Greg Rice Drops Suit Against Hospital

April 4, 2007

I saw this in my newspaper this morning and it's sad because

didn't have to die if the anesthesiologist had been informed and

obviously he wasn't. I feel 's heart attack was due to lack of

oxygen. It just breaks my heart. was such a great guy.

- Cyndi Demitruk

Rice drops suit against hospital over twin's death

By Larry Keller

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Rather than have a judge determine whether his lawsuit was specious,

Greg Rice has dismissed his wrongful death complaint against the

hospital where his twin, Rice, died while being prepared for

surgery on a broken leg in 2005.

Greg sued the corporate parent of Good Samaritan Medical Center and

an anesthesiologist after died when doctors at the West Palm

Beach hospital had difficulty inserting a breathing tube as he was

being prepped for surgery. was 53.

Greg's attorneys had a news conference at which they accused the

hospital staff of trying to cover up the circumstances of 's

death, and said Greg was told he died of natural causes.

The hospital's lawyer, Bruce Ramsey, countered last month that

Greg's comments in a deposition contradicted claims in his lawsuit,

and that hospital records clearly showed that died of a heart

attack.

And Greg said in his deposition that a doctor informed him that his

brother died of a heart attack, he said.

A hearing was scheduled this month at which Ramsey was going to ask

the judge to dismiss the case and make Greg and his attorneys pay a

fine, plus attorney fees, for filing a meritless lawsuit.

" To have a press conference and announce these allegations that

clearly were outrageous ... we had to take the high road until we

could prove the allegations are untrue, " Ramsey said Tuesday.

" The hospital got some very bad and undeserved publicity. "

Rice did not return phone calls. Nor did his attorneys,

and Todd Fronrath.

Find this article at:

7/04/04/s3b_RICE_0404.html

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