Why Late 'Jeopardy!' Champion's Parents Are Suing A Las Vegas Hospital

The parents of five-time Jeopardy! champion Brayden Smith are suing a Las Vegas hospital a year after his death.

Smith died in February 2021 after a complication during an abdominal surgery. He was 24. Smith was regarded as "Alex's Last Great Champion," because he was one of the last contestants to appear with longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek before he died in November 2020. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas grad won $115,798 during his five-day Jeopardy! winning streak.

Smith's parents, Scott and Deborah Smith, are suing St. Rose Dominican Hospital-Siena Campus in Henderson, Nevada, for alleged negligence and medical malpractice, according to KVVU. The lawsuit filed Monday in Nevada state court seeks "unspecified compensatory and punitive damages greater than $15,000."

“This case is not just about death. Brayden suffered before he died because the hospital, its nurses, and the home health nurse failed to teach and take care of this young man with a new ostomy," said Robert Murdock, the Smith's attorney.

Court documents said Smith underwent surgery to remove his colon after suffering from ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and ulcers in the digestive track. Three weeks later, Smith collapsed and was hospitalized again. He died of blood clots in his lungs. The lawsuit says Smith was never given anticoagulants after surgery and names doctors and nurses individually for not providing adequate medical standards of care.

According to KVVU, hospital corporation Dignity Health was "reviewing the case but do not comment on pending litigation."