HaysMed, Surgeon Face $10 Million Suit Over 2024 Fatal Heart Surgery
Updated
Updated · Hays Post · May 15
HaysMed, Surgeon Face $10 Million Suit Over 2024 Fatal Heart Surgery
1 articles · Updated · Hays Post · May 15
Summary
$10 million in damages is being sought by Taasha Smith, who alleges HaysMed and Dr. Roberto Cervera caused her father Stephen Richter's death during an Oct. 1, 2024 aortic valve replacement.
Court records say Richter was placed on a heart-lung machine, his heart stopped during the procedure, and he could not be weaned off the machine before being pronounced dead in the operating room.
The lawsuit alleges negligence by Cervera, hospital employees and nurses, including inadequate evaluation, poor informed consent, failure to re-dose cardioplegia, and lack of needed surgical equipment, protocols and time tracking.
HaysMed and Cervera denied wrongdoing in court filings; the hospital said it could not address specific claims because of pending litigation but expects a fair review of the facts.
The case was filed in Johnson County, where Smith lives; a defense request to move it to Ellis County was denied, and no hearing or trial date has been set.