Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit: Chiropractor Caused Playboy Model’s Death
A chiropractor was hit with a lawsuit alleging a spinal cord injury caused playboy model Katie May to have a stroke after a poorly performed neck adjustment.
Ms. May’s estate alleges in the spinal cord injury lawsuit that chiropractor Eric Swartz, who also founded Back to Total Health Inc., mishandled a neck alignment during an appointment and then failed to get proper medical care after causing the spinal cord injury.
Allegedly, Ms. May sought chiropractic treatment for neck pain she suffered after a photo shoot. The spinal cord injury lawsuit says that Ms. May started showing signs of a stroke after her appointment and she was rushed to the Emergency Room. Ms. May was pronounced brain dead during treatment at the hospital and her parents took her off life support on Feb. 4, 2016.
According to the spinal cord injury lawsuit, it was Ms. May’s second appointment with the chiropractor that lead to her hospitalization and ultimately her death. Ms. May suffered from a condition that caused blood clots and the lawsuit alleges that the chiropractor should have obtained a CT scan before making any adjustments.
“A reasonable chiropractor in Dr. Swartz’s position, would not have adjusted May because of the risks involved and would have referred May to the Emergency Room, as most chiropractors do when they are presented with a patient with spine issues,” alleges Ms. May’s estate. “It is not recommended that chiropractors provide chiropractic care for patients with spinal cord compression or nerve compression where forceful manipulation may have a great potential for problems.”
Further, alleges the lawsuit, the chiropractor did not complete his notes on Ms. May’s treatment until after her death.
“It begs plaintiffs to question whether Dr. Swartz went back to change his report after he was notified that May was hospitalized and subsequently died because of his treatment, the neck manipulation,” contends the lawsuit.
Ms. May was only 34 at the time and leaves a single daughter, Mia. The lawsuit alleges that the chiropractor’s mishandled neck alignment not only caused Ms. May’s spinal cord injury and death, but also took Mia’s mother away for the rest of her life.
“Now, over a year after her death, Mia cannot stop talking about her mother and the moments they shared together,” alleges the spinal cord injury lawsuit. “Mia constantly rehearses lines her mother used to say and speaks about her mother’s favorite color, food, etc. Mia is deprived of growing up with not only her mother, but her best friend and support system.”
The attorney representing Ms. May’s estate stated that “We hope to bring awareness of these dangerous procedures and we hope that [the chiropractor’s] insurance carrier will do the right thing and provide a small college fund for the victim of this horrible tragedy”
Spinal cord injuries can be catastrophic and life altering. Catastrophic injury attorneys can help you or your loved one recover medical expenses and damages for lost income, pain and suffering and emotion harm that can come from a spinal cord injury.
Alex Maimon is represented by Ronald Richards, Marani Stelmach and Justin Ibrahim of The Law Offices of Ronald Richards & Associates APC.
The case is Alex Maimon v. Eric Swartz et al., Case No. BC664945 in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles.
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