Tammy and Tim Smick

Tammy Smick joined our advocacy team following the tragic death of her son Alex due to medical negligence. Following a skateboarding accident, Alex endured a stress fracture to his back and five bulging discs. Instead of proceeding with surgery, his doctors chose pain management. Alex advocated for himself continuing to request surgery, but his doctors instead prescribed morphine tablets. Concerned for his wellbeing, Alex drove himself to a hospital. He was referred to a hospital where he would receive alternative pain treatment but instead, he was given a toxic cocktail of medications.

The video also discusses the tragic death of Downey resident Tammy Smick’s son Alex and debunks the claims that continuing survivors’ rights to collect for their loved ones’ suffering will increase medical malpractice costs. 

“I lost my son due to gross medical negligence and, at the time, there were no pre-death pain and suffering damages available,” said Tammy Smick, a Consumer Watchdog board member whose son Alex Smick died at age 20 from a fatal overdose administered by a doctor at a facility where he was recovering from addiction. “That prevented my family from finding justice in a court of law because the damages were not great enough. The lifting of the ban on pre-death pain and suffering allows more survivors to seek justice so families are not locked out of the courts as I was. As Consumer Watchdog’s research shows, there has been no increase in medical malpractice claims as a result of the changes.”

pre-death pain and suffering damages available,” said Tammy Smick, a Consumer Watchdog board member whose son Alex Smick died at age 20 from a fatal overdose administered by a doctor at a facility where he was recovering from addiction. “That prevented my family from finding justice in a court of law because the damages were not great enough. The lifting of the ban on pre-death pain and suffering allows more survivors to seek justice so families are not locked out of the courts as I was. As Consumer Watchdog’s research shows, there has been no increase in medical malpractice claims as a result of the changes.”