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Katey Sagal Testifies in Ritter Case

By LINDA DEUTSCH,
AP
Posted: 2008-02-27 09:07:43
GLENDALE, Calif. (Feb. 27) - The jury in the John Ritter wrongful-death trial heard testimonials Tuesday from his TV co-star, agent, personal assistant and son, who praised the actor as a kind, loving and funny man facing a bright future at the time of his death.

"I loved John," actress Katey Sagal said, fighting back tears as she briefly testified in Superior Court.

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Nick Ut, AP

John Ritter Wrongful
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A jury ruled in favor of two doctors accused of negligence in the death of John Ritter. Actress Amy Yasbeck, seen here on March 3 arriving at court, talked about her daughter Stella's loss while on the stand. "Every day she wakes up and there's a new way to miss her father. I can't make up for that. It's a new road to face every day."

Ritter's 28-year-old son, Jason, spoke of how much he would miss his father's advice and support as he moves forward with his own acting career.

The agent, Jessica Pilch-Samuel, said she envisioned a long career ahead for Ritter.

"He was America's darling," she said. "He would have done movie after movie. He was back and he was back in a big way."

When he died on Sept. 11, 2003, Ritter was starring in "8 Simple Rules ... for Dating My Teenage Daughter." Sagal played his wife.

Pilch-Samuel said that had the show continued she would have sought a salary of $200,000 to $250,000 per episode for Ritter.

Ritter's personal assistant, Susan Wilcox, said he was beloved by fans and "a delight to be with - a kind and decent and loving man."

The testimony of the four witnesses was offered to support an enormous damage claim by Ritter's family - $67 million - from a cardiologist who treated him the night he died and a radiologist who administered a body scan two years earlier.

Plaintiffs' attorneys claim both doctors were negligent in failing to diagnose an enlarged aorta. Ritter ultimately died of a dissected, or torn, aorta that was misidentified as a heart attack.

The defense contends that the doctors were not at fault and gave Ritter excellent care.

The trial is in its fourth week.

Before testimony began Tuesday, jurors were introduced to Ritter's daughter, Stella, who came into court briefly. Ritter died on her fifth birthday.

The jurors were also shown notes of encouragement that Ritter sent to son Jason, who was a co-star of "Joan of Arcadia," while he was in college and for his graduations from high school and college.

"It was a great and intense relationship," the son said. "He was so much fun. I learned a lot from him. He was a great father and a great teacher."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-02-27 09:06:57
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Recent Comments

1 - 10 of 470
470 comments

MitchTee 02:14:55 PM Mar 02 2008

Reading the opinions of fellow bloggers makes me understand how far off course our country has gone. With all the atheists, immigrants and bureaucratic idiots dictating what AMERICANS can and can't do (no Lord's prayer, pledge to our flag, boy scout issues, concentrating on the past instead of focusing on current issues (100 year old slavery issues, divisive civil rights leaders) , is there any question why today's young adults and children lack the core values needed in today's society? Read the callous comments posted on this and other blogs and unless the reader is totally daft, you will understand my posting?

God bless John Ritter and his family.

tckaletajr 05:53:57 PM Feb 28 2008

Greedy Hollywood. Medicine is a practice and I'm sure the doctors did everything possible. There was no insurance or money issues here. Ritter's condition is a very difficult diagnosis. It' s not like they left the man sitting on a bench outside the hospital awaiting treatment while they ran a credit check on him. It's a shame and he was a great actor. Probably even a good husband to his second wife, but this is the kind of stuff that causes the rest of us to pay so much for medical care.

beer999999 03:43:55 PM Feb 28 2008

The fact is that most hospitals hide their dirty little secrets!
If someone has no insurance they tell you to go die basically!
Sure there are some caring people in the medical field..but NOT enough at all!
Greed and Money..not caring is most of their mindset! They should be ashamed of themselves.
And nobody has the right to tell you How to grieve or for how long...yes you go on with your life...but you might grieve and miss that person for the rest of your life.
My Best Friend did not have the right kind of insurance and she died of cancer....all they cared about was the insurance..they can SHOVE their freaking Insurance up their you know whats! I will MISS her forever!
I love you John Ritter! Good luck to your family and friends...BTW...his wife is NOT keeping the money..she is giving it to the John Ritter foundation for Heart problems !

memege 01:18:11 PM Feb 28 2008

it is so sad for any one to pass. with past experences with emergency rooms
let me tell you if it isn't drama they blow you off and let you lay 6 hrs in there
waiting on a room no water and freeze but thats ok your in the hospital
and you can bet your bottom dollar they will get their money. come hell or high water

bsandbill2 12:39:45 PM Feb 28 2008

I liked TX RIDDER better.

archaeoone 12:39:32 PM Feb 28 2008

Doctors should not be held to the ridiculous standards suggested by the comments offered. They are dealing with human physiology. Medicine is not black or white issues like many professions encounter. Medicine is not an exact science like chemistry or physics. Tests don't always show the problem. Many times, diagnoses are made by using the process of elimination or just the best guess at the time. Many people present with the same symptoms, have similar test results, yet have a different disease process. Any thinking individual would understand that and would eliminate the irrational emotional factor being employed here.

bds6543 12:31:02 PM Feb 28 2008

Get over your grief, and get grief counseling. People die......that's all. God had a plan for John Ritter, and his time was up. All the money in the world is NOT going to bring him back to his loved ones,and retaliations and revenge will not work. There is always a "human fallibility" factor in anything/everything on the planet. Human beings are not GODS, and sometimes it's up to GOD to decide when it is "your time to go"!! They already have sued, and got a HUGE settlement.. LET IT GO FOLKS!!

Poppoandpinkie 12:15:44 PM Feb 28 2008

I am with the Ritter family. My husband died unnecessarily at the age of 54 because they failed to treat him after they knew for a fact that he had no blood going to the left side of his heart. Of course he didn't make more than $40,000 the year before he died but he walked around for a year before he died constantly telling the doctor that he couldn't breathe right and was really tired all the time, that he was having chest pain. they kept telling him to loose weight. He had a massive heart attack while we were on the beach. With us were our 5 small children who witnessed his death., they were from the age of 3years old to 13 years old. tell me if leaving 5 little ones behind is okey?? Doctors should be more aware of what is being said by the patient and look at the results of the tests. I hope they get millions cause I didn't. My husband wasn't worth that much they said because he didn't have a high end job--go figure.

rbredin57 11:58:01 AM Feb 28 2008

She should be donating money to the hospital...Greedy Leach

lm1119 11:40:21 AM Feb 28 2008

"I'm asking for responsibility to be taken and recognition to be brought to this problem," Yasbeck, seen leaving court Feb. 11, told MSNBC in a recent interview.

Thats a bold as$ lie if there ever was one. If she wanted recognition and accountability she never would have settled with the hospital. When you want attention to a "problem" you don't settle out of court, thats what GETS you the attention. She probably figured, wow, that 14 million was easy. Lets go get some more. She can the martyr role all she wants, but she's not THAT good of an actress.

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