Bill Paxton’s Death Settlement: $1M Anesthesia and Cedars-Sinai

The Bill Paxton wrongful death settlement was reached on August 19, 2022, when the actor’s widow and children resolved their remaining claims against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Ali Khoynezhad about a month before trial. The financial terms were kept confidential, and neither the hospital nor the surgeon admitted fault. Earlier that year, the family had also settled with a co-defendant anesthesia group for $1 million.¹²

Paxton died on February 25, 2017, at age 61, eleven days after undergoing open-heart surgery at Cedars-Sinai to replace a damaged aortic valve and repair an aneurysm. He suffered a stroke during his recovery.³⁴

What the Family Alleged

Louise Paxton and her children, James and Lydia, filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court in February 2018, alleging negligent diagnosis, management, and treatment.⁵ The complaint made several core claims:

Khoynezhad used a “high risk and unconventional surgical approach” that was unnecessary, that he lacked experience with, and that was “beyond the scope of his privileges” at Cedars-Sinai.⁶
The surgeon downplayed the risks and failed to obtain meaningful informed consent.⁷
Cedars-Sinai knew Khoynezhad had a tendency to “engage in maverick surgeries and show suboptimal judgment,” with staff allegedly calling his style “cowboy medicine” and nicknaming him “AK-47.”⁸
Khoynezhad was not at the hospital when Paxton began experiencing complications and had not arranged continuous coverage, delaying treatment.⁵

The family said this course of treatment caused excessive bleeding, cardiogenic shock, and a compromised coronary artery, and led to the fatal stroke.⁶

The Autopsy Allegations and Punitive Damages Ruling

A separate part of the case concerned what happened after Paxton died. The family alleged that Cedars-Sinai and Khoynezhad promised an autopsy but never intended to perform one, in an effort to conceal the hospital’s role in his death.⁹

When Forest Lawn Memorial Park flagged that no autopsy had been done, Khoynezhad allegedly told the mortuary the family had “originally planned autopsy but changed their mind.” The family said that was false, and that by the time they learned no autopsy had been performed, Paxton’s body had already been cremated.¹⁰

On January 19, 2022, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Steven J. Kleifield rejected Cedars-Sinai’s attempt to block the family’s punitive damages claim. He wrote that “Cedars submits no evidence as to who made the misrepresentation to plaintiffs, who was involved in making the misrepresentation or who was involved in the decision to not perform the autopsy.” The ruling cleared the way for punitive damages to go to trial and significantly raised the stakes for the defense.¹¹

How the Hospital and Surgeon Defended the Case

Cedars-Sinai and Khoynezhad denied negligence throughout the four years of litigation. Their defense argued that Paxton and his family had been fully informed of the risks and consented to the surgery. Court filings stated Paxton had been told about “the dangers and risks involved in the examination, diagnosis, operations surgery and medical care” and had a pre-existing condition that made him susceptible to complications.⁶ An early attempt by the defense to have the complaint dismissed was unsuccessful.¹²

The $1 Million Anesthesia Settlement

In February 2022, General Anesthesia Specialists Partnership agreed to pay $1 million to resolve claims against it, including wrongful death, survival action, and breach of fiduciary duty. The group denied liability and called the payment a “business decision,” saying its personnel had “complied with the standard of care.” Anesthesiologist Dr. Moody Makar was dismissed from the suit without any payment of his own.¹³¹⁴

The Final Settlement With Cedars-Sinai

Trial had been set for September 19, 2022. On August 19, 2022, the family’s attorneys filed a notice that the remaining claims against Cedars-Sinai and Khoynezhad had been settled. Co-lead counsel Bruce Broillet and Steve Heimberg said only: “This matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties.”¹¹⁵

The dollar amount was not disclosed. Neither the hospital nor Khoynezhad admitted fault. As of the last public reports, the settlement was pending approval by the presiding judge.²⁶

Where Dr. Khoynezhad Practices Now

Khoynezhad left Cedars-Sinai in June 2017, about four months after the surgery, according to his professional profile. He joined UCLA’s Department of Medicine as a professor the following month and later became managing director of the Heart and Vascular Institute at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, where he continues to practice.¹⁶

1
The Guardian. Bill Paxton Wrongful Death Lawsuit Settled With Los Angeles Hospital
2
Deadline. Bill Paxton Family Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit With Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
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Rolling Stone. Bill Paxton Wrongful Death Settlement
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AOL. Bill Paxton Death
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People. Bill Paxton Family Reaches Settlement in Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Surgeon, Hospital
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NBC News. Bill Paxton’s Family Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit With Los Angeles Hospital
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KERA News. Family of Fort Worth Native Bill Paxton Sues Hospital, Doctor for Wrongful Death
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Deadline. Bill Paxton’s Family Can Seek Punitive Damages Against Cedars-Sinai
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The Hollywood Reporter. Bill Paxton’s Family Can Seek Punitive Damages Against Cedars-Sinai in Wrongful Death Suit
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Devdiscourse. Judge Rules Bill Paxton’s Family Can Seek Punitive Damages Against Hospital
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Spectrum News. Judge Says Bill Paxton Relatives Can Seek Punitive Damages From Cedars-Sinai
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ABC News. Bill Paxton’s Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Hospital
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NBC News. Bill Paxton’s Family Reaches $1 Million Settlement With Medical Group
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The Hollywood Reporter. Bill Paxton’s Family Reaches $1M Settlement With Anesthesiologist Group Over Actor’s Death
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The Hollywood Reporter. Bill Paxton Family Settlement With Cedars-Sinai in Wrongful Death Lawsuit
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ResearchGate. Ali Khoynezhad Profile