Melissa Rivers Sues For Millions Of Dollars Over Death Of Mother Joan: NYC Clinic & 'Groupie' Doctors Who Treated 'Fashion Police' Star Slapped With Huge Lawsuit

Melissa Rivers is reportedly suing the medical clinic where her mother, comedian Joan Rivers, suffered fatal complications during an outpatient endoscopy operation. Rivers was rushed from the Yorkville Endoscopy clinic to Mt Sinai hospital on Aug. 28 when she had a laryngospasm during the procedure on her vocal chords, which cut off the oxygen flow to her brain. She died of "brain damage caused by a severe lack of oxygen" seven days later. Melissa Rivers is apparently suing for unspecified damages, and called the clinic's behavior "incompetent" and "shocking," while the doctors were referred to as "groupies" by her lawyer.   

Melissa Rivers Sues Clinic over Joan Rivers' Death (Report) https://t.co/FTdZdRvwSE pic.twitter.com/X9SMO3frmh

— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 26, 2015

As The Hollywood Reporter say, "The lawsuit states that Yorkville performed an unauthorized examination of Rivers' vocal chords and windpipe that resulted in a laryngospasm. With the spasm, her throat allegedly seized up and deprived her brain of oxygen."

In a statement, reports Time, Melissa Rivers said that "Filing this lawsuit was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make."

"What ultimately guided me was my unwavering belief that no family should ever have to go through what my mother, [my son] Cooper and I have been through. The level of medical mismanagement, incompetency, disrespect and outrageous behavior is shocking and frankly, almost incomprehensible."

Time explain that the "alleged missteps" that Melissa Rivers is suing over include "a 12-minute delay before calling 911; a photograph of the comedian taken by a doctor while Rivers was sedated; a failure to monitor vital signs; and a delay in intubating Rivers."

Melissa Rivers files malpractice lawsuit against her mother's doctors: https://t.co/YpfLFEYMOf pic.twitter.com/pVmuyHNsTq

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) January 26, 2015

As Entertainment Weekly say "Her death was determined to be a therapeutic complication, after which, her doctor, Dr. Lawrence Cohen, stepped down."

TMZ report that Melissa has also allegedly sued Joan's doctor, who "According to the lawsuit," "left the room in the middle of the emergency and the allegation is that she left because she knew she wasn't supposed to be there in the first place and "wanted to avoid getting caught."

Joan Rivers -- Melissa Sues Clinic Over Mom's Death https://t.co/l7HcVwqiTR

— TMZ (@TMZ) January 26, 2015

Melissa's lawyer, Jeffrey Bloom, told The New York Daily News that "Had doctors acted as physicians for Joan Rivers instead of groupies, Joan Rivers would have been doing Fashion Police last week."

The Daily News say that "Instead of stopping the laryngoscopy midway to stabilize her when her vital signs showed signs of distress, the doctors continued with the procedure and she went into cardiac arrest."

The unspecified damages could run into the millions of dollars, says The Daily News, because the 81 year old Rivers was working so consistently

Another of the family's lawyers, Ben Rubinowitz, told The New York Daily News that "Melissa wants to make sure that this never happens to anyone else. Ambulatory care centers need to have the same oversight that hospitals have to ensure that patients are treated properly."

Melissa Rivers: "The level of medical mismanagement, incompetency, disrespect and outrageous behavior is shocking" https://t.co/59bHy3DZSt

— Dareh Gregorian (@darehgregorian) January 26, 2015