Kira Johnson

39-year-old Kira Johnson was a remarkable person. She could speak five languages, had raced cars, possessed a pilot’s license and even skydived as a hobby. She shared this active lifestyle with Charles, her husband of 10 years, and Charles Jr, their 19-month-old son.   

The family was thrilled when Kira learned she was pregnant with their second child. When the Johnsons were told that Kira would have to deliver by C-section, they tried not to worry. Kira was in great shape and didn’t have any major health problems. 

In April of 2016, Kira went to the hospital in Los Angeles where she had scheduled her routine C-section. After the procedure Kira complained of severe pain in her abdomen. Over the next several hours she started to shake, grew pale and became increasingly sensitive to touch. When they saw blood in her catheter her family knew how serious it was. Charles and the rest of the family begged the doctor and medical staff to address Kira’s symptoms and run tests. A CT was ordered but never happened. 

For more than 10 hours Kira writhed in pain with no response from her medical team. When Kira’s doctor finally took her into emergency surgery to find out what was wrong, 3 liters of blood were found in her abdomen. The doctors had lacerated her bladder during the C-section and Kira had been bleeding internally for hours. Kira died on the operating table. 

Kira Johnson and family

To her husband, Kira’s death was shocking and outrageous. She was healthy and fit and they had told the doctors for hours something was wrong only to be ignored. The hospital was dismissive with the family when they sought answers, or even an acknowledgement of what had gone wrong. What happened to Kira – uncontrolled bleeding that was identified too late – is a common, preventable cause of maternal mortality, and is one of the reasons three times as many African-American women than Caucasian women die in childbirth in California.

A pregnant Kira smiles at the camera.

Stonewalled by the hospital when he sought answers, Charles sought to hold the doctor accountable. But Kira was a stay-at-home mom. Lawyers usually turn away these cases because, under California’s cap on malpractice damages, the most a family can recover when a non-wage-earning mother dies in childbirth is $250,000. That barely covers the costs of a case. 

Charles later learned that Kira’s doctor had been responsible for the deaths of three other women and placed on four years of probation by the Medical Board of California – far below the Board’s own minimum standard sentencing guidelines. If the doctor had been sufficiently disciplined for his previous errors, Kira would likely have received proper treatment and be alive today. 

Charles’s mother is court television’s Judge Glenda Hackett. Her connections brought media attention to Kira’s story, and helped Charles find an attorney to take Kira’s case. They hope the case will pressure the hospital to change practices and help prevent the deaths of other mothers, since the Medical Board likely will not. 

Protect patients from dangerous doctors.

Latest Patient Safety Videos

Video thumbnail
KFMB-SD (CBS) - San Diego, CA: Hundreds Wrongly Told They May Have Cancer
03:20
Video thumbnail
Larcenia Taylor on ABC 23
05:13
Video thumbnail
Monica De La Rosa
04:35
Video thumbnail
Tracy Dominguez featured on ABC 23 KERO
07:22
Video thumbnail
KERO-BFL (ABC) - Bakersfield, CA: Do No Harm: Loss and Liability in the Medical Field
07:58
Video thumbnail
KGET - Consumer Watchdog Advocates Note The Importance of Making Change Within The Healthcare System
02:26
Video thumbnail
ABC - Bakersfield, CA; Consumer Watchdog Shows Support in Honor of the Latina Maternal Health Fair
02:53
Video thumbnail
KABC- Los Angeles, CA; Pathways Medical in Toluca Lake Owner Falsely Claims to be A Licensed Doctor
02:22
Video thumbnail
Spectrum News; CW Argues Senate Bill 815's Proposed Changes Aren't Enough To Protect Patients
02:39
Video thumbnail
Larcenia Taylor Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
01:20
Video thumbnail
Patricia Plascencia Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
03:00
Video thumbnail
Selah O'Connor Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:53
Video thumbnail
Sandy Perez Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:56
Video thumbnail
Selah O'Connor Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:53
Video thumbnail
Selena Alvarez Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:04
Video thumbnail
Judith Gorcey's Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:15
Video thumbnail
Xavier De Leon Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:19
Video thumbnail
Robert Andrian Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:43
Video thumbnail
Evelen Martinez Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
00:42
Video thumbnail
Michele Monserratt Ramos Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
01:33
Video thumbnail
Tracy Dominguez Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:11
Video thumbnail
Naomi Sweatt Sunset Review Testimony
02:07
Video thumbnail
Selena Alvarez Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:00
Video thumbnail
Denise Johnson Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:11
Video thumbnail
Tammy Smick Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
01:56
Video thumbnail
Maria Ibarra Navarrette Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:07
Video thumbnail
Carol Bradley Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:33
Video thumbnail
Kim Turbin Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:14
Video thumbnail
Tracey Mueller Gibbs Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:43
Video thumbnail
Carmen Balber testifies at Sunset Review about Medical Board Reforms
02:03
Video thumbnail
Tracy Dominguez Testifies on Right to Know Physician Loss of Hospital Privileges Before
02:16
Video thumbnail
Naomi Sweatt Testifies Calling for Disclosure of Physician Felony Charges before
01:49
Video thumbnail
Maria Ibarra Navarrette Testifies Calling for All Death Complaints to be Investigated Before
00:34
Video thumbnail
Patricia Plascencia Testifies Calling for Public Disclosure of Physician Felony Charges Before
02:04
Video thumbnail
Evelen Martinez Testifies Calling for Death Complaints Must be Investigated before
02:11
Video thumbnail
Michele Monserratt-Ramos testifies on Right to Know Physician Loss of Hospital Privileges before
02:48
Video thumbnail
Xavier De Leon Testifies on Right to Know Physician Loss of Hospital Privileges Before
01:57
Video thumbnail
Jan Kamel testifies at MBC Meeting 2 9 23
00:34
Video thumbnail
Michele Monserratt-Ramos Testifies in Support of Bringing Medical Board Meetings to Central Valley
02:52
Video thumbnail
Kimberly Turbin Testifies Calling for Serious Bodily Injury Complaints to be Investigated Before
02:11
Video thumbnail
Moises Espinoza Testifies Calling for Public Disclosure of Physician Felony Charges Before
01:29
Video thumbnail
Judith Gorcey Testifies Calling for Public Disclosure of Physician Felony Charges Before
02:48
Video thumbnail
Selah O’Connor Testifies Calling for Serious Bodily Complaints Must Be Investigated before
02:39
Video thumbnail
Tracy Dominguez Testifies in Support of Bringing the Medical Board Meeting to the Central Valley
01:24
Video thumbnail
Tracy Dominguez Testifies Calling for Death Complaints Must Be Investigated Before
02:14
Video thumbnail
Monique Himes Testifies in Support of Bringing the Medical Board Meeting to the Central Valley
01:15

Latest Patient Safety Releases

Patient Safety In The News

Support Consumer Watchdog

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, press releases and special reports.

More Patients Fighting for Change