"I really, really believe that for whatever reason, John Ritter's time was up," said Stephen C. Fraser, who represents Lotysch.
Yasbeck, Ritter's second wife, who married him in 1999, said the doctors missed signs of her husband's condition until it was too late to save him.
The trial is about more than money, she said. As is typical, none of the hospitals, doctors or other entities that have settled with the family have admitted guilt or said they were sorry. Yasbeck said she wants a public accounting of what happened.
"You can't treat my kid's dad for something and kill him in the process," she said.
"I think the money will show how angry the jury will be about what happened to John and what could happen to them."
Illness on the set
On Sept. 11, 2003, Ritter was on the set of "8 Simple Rules" when he experienced sudden nausea and vomiting, according to documents. He felt faint and had chest pain. At about 6 p.m., he went to nearby St. Joseph.
An emergency room doctor ordered tests, including a chest X-ray, and prescribed aspirin and anti-nausea medicine, records show.
Around 7:15 p.m., a test showed abnormalities that the doctor thought were consistent with a heart attack. Lee, who was on call, was at Ritter's bedside at 7:25 p.m.
Lee ordered anti-coagulants, which are standard treatment for a heart attack, although they can exacerbate symptoms of an aortic dissection. He also quickly planned a cardiac catheterization. During the procedure, Ritter's condition worsened and a large aortic dissection was found.
Attempts to save Ritter failed, and he was pronounced dead at 10:48 p.m. No autopsy was performed.
Aortic dissection, which can be fatal if the artery ruptures or blood flow is inhibited to the coronary arteries, is notoriously difficult to diagnose. At issue in this case is whether Ritter's symptoms were more consistent with a heart attack or an aortic dissection.
The month after Ritter died, state regulators faulted the hospital for lapses in care, including its failure to perform a chest X-ray ordered by an emergency room doctor.
Had Lee obtained a chest X-ray, the plaintiffs' lawyers and their experts say, it probably would have shown that Ritter had an enlarged aorta. With that information, he could have been taken to surgery and saved, they said.
