Joan Rivers' doctor denies wrongdoing in operation

  • Breaking
  • 04/07/2015

Joan Rivers' throat specialist has denied any wrongdoing in response to a medical malpractice lawsuit surrounding the comedienne's death last year.

The funnywoman, 81, stopped breathing during a routine procedure at Yorkville Endoscopy in New York in late August, 2014 and she passed away at a nearby hospital on 4 September. A medical examiner subsequently ruled she died of brain damage due to a lack of oxygen.

Her daughter, Melissa Rivers, lodged legal papers in Manhattan Supreme Court in January, accusing medics of botching the surgery, and now one of the doctors at the centre of the lawsuit is hitting back.

Melissa accused Dr Gwen Korovin of performing an unauthorised laryngoscopy on her mother, and claimed she "had no right" to treat any patients at Yorkville Endoscopy, because she reportedly wasn't licensed there.

In documents filed in April, which have only just been made public, Dr Gwen Korovin dismisses all allegations, claiming she was "invited" to do the procedure on her client Rivers by fellow defendant Dr Lawrence Cohen.

She goes on to deny accusations of negligence and insists she was "unaware of any pictures being taken" in the operating room - even though she was featured looking straight into the camera in a snap taken with an unconscious Rivers.

Cohen also denies all allegations in Melissa's suit and claims he wasn't the one taking the photos, as has been reported.

WENN.com

source: newshub archive