Death of ‘Jeopardy!’ champion blamed on medical malpractice

The parents of “Jeopardy!” champion Brayden Smith sued a Henderson infirmary and Dignity Health connected Monday, claiming aesculapian malpractice caused the Liberty High School graduate’s death pursuing colorectal surgery.

“His past days were a nightmare,” the suit states. “His decease was preordained by the misconduct of doctors and nurses. None of this had to be.”

District Court records amusement that Smith’s parents, Scott and Debbie, filed the suit against Dignity Health; St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Siena campus; Fidelity Home Health Services; 2 physicians; and the St. Rose nursing staff.

Attorneys Robert and Sydney Murdock prepared the complaint, which stems from Smith’s Feb. 5 death. He was 1 of the past “Jeopardy!” guests to look with big Alex Trebek.

The suit states that Smith, 24, suffered from ulcerative colitis and underwent country successful January astatine St. Rose to region his colon. It claims helium was ne'er fixed anticoagulants aft the surgery, and helium died of pulmonary emboli, oregon humor clots successful the lungs, astir 3 weeks later.

Robert Murdock declined to remark connected the lawsuit. Dignity Health spokesperson Gordon Absher said successful an email: “We’ve not had accidental to decently reappraisal this document.”

Smith was a UNLV graduate, a National Merit Scholar semifinalist and Quiz Bowl veteran. He earned $115,798 during his 5 “Jeopardy!” appearances. Las Vegas Valley residents intimately followed his victories connected a crippled amusement that made him a personage crossed the globe.

“I’m conscionable gladsome we were capable to bash it,” helium would aboriginal accidental successful a video interrogation posted by the show. “And I was gladsome that I was capable to amusement what I was susceptible of. Every infinitesimal I was there, that I moved from the 3rd lectern to the champion’s lectern — I wanted to enactment determination arsenic agelong arsenic possible.”

Of Trebek, who was 80 when helium died successful 2020 from pancreatic cancer, Smith said, “Everybody knows that helium (was) ailing. To enactment connected a brave look and spell retired determination each time and proceed to springiness America and the satellite immoderate bully cheer, particularly this year, is truly a testament to however large of a idiosyncratic helium was.”

The suit indicates that the Murdocks retained aesculapian experts who determined that Smith’s attraction “fell beneath the modular of care.”

One of those experts, colon and rectal surgeon Keith Beiermeister of California, said successful a declaration that Smith was sick successful 2019 and was treated by Dr. Godwin Ofikwu astatine St. Rose. Smith was hospitalized successful December 2020 and January 2021.

“He was malnourished, was highly weak, and was a precise sick young man,” the suit states.

According to the document, it became wide that a surgical process known arsenic an abdominal colectomy with an extremity ileostomy was needed. Afterward, the suit alleges, Ofikwu ordered “anticoagulation,” but determination was nary circumstantial bid for anticoagulants specified a heparin.

“It appears that Brayden was not fixed immoderate anticoagulants astatine all,” Beiermeister said successful his declaration, adding that “in a country specified arsenic this, the modular of attraction requires some mechanical and chemic anticoagulation.”

“The aesculapian lit is wide that patients undergoing colorectal country arsenic compared to wide country person a important summation successful the hazard of emboli,” helium wrote.

Ofikwu and Dr. Irfana Razzaq are named arsenic defendants successful the lawsuit. Beiermeister alleged that Razzaq, a hospitalist, did not guarantee that anticoagulants were fixed to Smith.

“The nursing notes bash not bespeak that anyone connected the nursing unit inquired arsenic to this issue,” Beiermeister wrote.

According to Beiermeister’s declaration, Smith collapsed astatine his location connected Jan. 29 and died 7 days later.

A registered caregiver retained by Murdock’s office, Tara Bohannon of California, filed a declaration with the suit stating that Smith was sent location without capable grooming connected however to negociate his wellness aft colorectal surgery.

“He did not spell location with capable knowledge, and it is my knowing that this was importantly frustrating to Brayden,” Bonhannon wrote. “He besides did not spell location with capable and due supplies.”

Brayden’s parents said aft his decease that they were honoring their son’s representation by establishing the nonprofit Brayden Smith Memorial Fund to assistance wage for the acquisition of aspiring Southern Nevada students who imagination big, arsenic their lad did.

Contact Glenn Puit by email astatine gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ connected Twitter.