TV announcer Ed McMahon settles malpractice case
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ed McMahon, the longtime sidekick to U.S. late-night television star Johnny Carson, has settled a malpractice claim he brought against a Los Angeles hospital after breaking his neck, a lawyer involved in the litigation said on Monday.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
McMahon, 86, sued Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in July 2008, claiming its doctors failed to diagnose his broken neck after a fall and discharged him without taking an X-ray. He also accused the hospital of botching two subsequent spine operations.
The veteran TV announcer said the resulting discomfort and pain left him unable to work for many months.
Robert Packer, a lawyer for the hospital, said the malpractice case was settled out of court but he declined to give further details.
McMahon has a pending negligence claim against the owners of the home where he fell in March 2007, investor Robert Day and his wife.
McMahon is best known as the announcer and sidekick to the late Carson on NBC's "The Tonight Show," where he introduced the host each evening with the booming, drawn-out introduction, "Heeeeeeeeere's Johnny!"
His 30-year "Tonight Show" stint ended with Carson's retirement in 1992. He also served as the longtime co-host of Jerry Lewis' annual Labor Day telethon benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
