Rice's David Bailiff filed wrongful death lawsuit against New Braunfels doctor
HOUSTON - Rice head football coach David Bailiff and his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dr. Jason A. Yoho and New Braunfels Cardiology of New Braunfels,Texas.
“Dave and his family are suing Dr. Yoho and his practice in New Braunfels for the wrongful death of their father as the result of a very badly handled cardiac procedure,” said Michael Doyle, attorney for the Bailiff family, in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.
“At the end of the day what you’re always trying to achieve in any legal case is accountability. If you do something wrong, whether it’s medical, professional or any other kind of professional you hope to hold them accountable, and that hasn’t been done in this case yet.”
The lawsuit was filed Nov. 4 in Comal County State District Court in New Braunfels where the late Robert Bailiff lived and Dr. Yoho has his practice.
Dr. Yoho and New Braunfels Cardiology filed an answer to the Bailiff’s lawsuit by stating they “generally deny the allegations contained in plaintiff’s position.”
Robert Bailiff passed away on Nov.13, 2013 at the age of 82 at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital in New Braunfels two days after the procedure that allegedly led to his death.
David Bailiff said his father went into the hospital for what was expected to be an outpatient procedure.
He said his father walked into the hospital “and didn’t walk out. It was supposed to be an outpatient (procedure). We didn't even have an overnight bag.
“The reason I'm doing (the lawsuit), I just don't want it to happen to somebody else's mother or father. I think it's important that we hold people responsible. This was a simple outpatient procedure, that we didn't get those results.
“They were going to put in a stent into his heart to supposedly make him have a better quality of life than he already had.”
By law the Bailiff family cannot ask for a specific dollar amount in the lawsuit.
There is a cap of $250,000 that only applies in medical negligence cases.
However, David Bailiff says financial gain is not the goal of his family’s lawsuit.
“I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do,” David Bailiff said.
“It's something I want completed to honor my father. I think that's important.”
David Bailiff said if his family prevails in the lawsuit he will use any financial gain toward a scholarship in memory of his father for students in need at a university to be determined.
When reached at his office in San Antonio the attorney for Dr. Yoho and New Braunfels Cardiology, Richard Kasson, told FOX 26 Sports he would not comment on “pending litigation.”