08-22-2007
Lawsuit Filed On The Behalf Of Patient At Medical Center

A lawsuit that was filed by the family of a woman who died at the Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria soon after she was relocated to accommodate Michael Jackson can not continue as filed.

The family of Manuela Gomez Ruiz sued Michael and the Medical Center claiming that she was kept from being properly attended following a heart attack when Michael was brought in with flu symptoms during the 2005 trial.

Judge Rodney Melville, who also served as judge in Michael's trial, on Tuesday allowed challenges to the complaint filed by attorneys for Michael and the hospital. They argued that the facts did not support the complaint.

Judge Melville gave the plaintiff's attorney 30 days to redraft the complaint. Plaintiff attorney James McKierman said that he would refile the documents.

The lawsuit said that Manuela Ruiz was on life support following a heart attack and was moved from a two bed room so that Michael could occupy it.

Ruiz was kept alive in an exam room using a hand pumped oxygen until she could be reconnected to life support, according to court documents.

The suit alleges that she had another heart attack, but that the crowd attending to Michael served to delay her arrival at critical care until she died later that evening.

Source: MJFC / http://www.iht.com

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