The family of a 17-year-old Lafayette resident believes he could’ve survived the catastrophic injuries he suffered four days before his death if not for the actions of the hospital where he was treated, according to a lawsuit they have filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court.
Amin Noroozi, a three-sport athlete at Acalanes High School who was about to enter his senior year, died April 17 at John Muir Health Medical Center in Walnut Creek, four days after he hit his head on a sandbar at Stinson Beach and snapped his neck, causing a severe injury to his cervical spinal column.
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The family — his mother, Ofelia Noroozi; his father, Payman Noroozi, and his sister, Sahar Noroozi — filed the lawsuit against the hospital last month. They did not respond Thursday to a request for comment. Attorneys from the Khashayar Law Group, which is representing the family, did not immediately return a call for comment.
The family argues in the suit that Amin Noroozi’s death was “cut short by systematic medical failures at John Muir Health.” They called the hospital’s actions “gross negligence” and said the life-threatening complications that led to Amin’s death “should have been anticipated and treated according to medical protocols.”
In the lawsuit, the family claims the decision to airlift him to John Muir Medical Health, from a Marin County hospital where he was initially taken, was the first in a series of decisions that led to his death. The lawsuit claims that Amin should’ve been taken to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, a Level 1 pediatric trauma center “specifically designed and equipped for this kind of medical emergency.”
John Muir Health Medical Center in Walnut Creek is a Level 2 trauma center.
“The significance of this choice cannot be overstated,” the lawsuit claims. “Level 1 trauma centers represent the gold standard in emergency care, maintaining 24/7 availability of specialized pediatric neurosurgeons, advanced neuroimaging capabilities, pediatric intensive care units staffed by board-certified pediatric critical care physicians and immediate access to experimental treatments and protocols that can mean the difference between life and death in cases like Amin’s.”
The lawsuit also states that Level 2 trauma centers, “while competent for many emergencies, lack the comprehensive resources, specialized pediatric expertise and cutting-edge capabilities that Amin’s condition demanded.”
Another point in the lawsuit concerns the alleged failure of doctors to make a proper diagnosis regarding Amin’s autonomic nervous system. The lawsuit states that such an injury “creates a state of dangerous dysregulation that requires expert, continuous monitoring and intervention” that John Muir Health could not provide.
All of it led to complications that led to his death, according to the lawsuit.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Mr. Noroozi,” John Muir Health said in a statement released by spokesperson Noel Van Nyhuis. “Due to patient privacy obligations and the fact that litigation is pending, we cannot comment on specific allegations on details of his care.
“John Muir Health is a nationally recognized provider that treats complex, high-acuity cases using evidence-based protocols and multidisciplinary teams, and when appropriate we coordinate transfers through established regional networks. We stand behind the professionalism and dedication of our physicians, nurses, and staff, and we remain focused on patient safety, quality, and continuous improvement.”
In the aftermath of Amin’s death, donations to an online fundraiser have raised nearly $200,000. A statement on the page that announced his death in April advises people to “smile with heart. Live with purpose. Be a friend like Amin.”