Katie May Death Blamed On Chiropractor, Family Of Late Playboy Model Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The family of former Playboy model Katie May, who died in Feb. 2016 aged 34 of a stroke, filed a lawsuit Wednesday against her chiropractor for causing her death. The wrongful death and medical malpractice suit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court by Alex Maimon, the father of May’s only child, 8-year-old Mia May-Maimon.

Ronald Richards, the attorney for May’s estate, accused Dr. Eric Swartz and his Los Angeles practice, Back to Total Health, of negligence saying “forceful" and "aggressive" adjustments tore an artery in her neck leading to her death, TMZ reported.

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The Los Angeles County Coroner determined Oct. 19 that May died as a result of an injury sustained during a “neck manipulation by chiropractor.” The coroner also revealed May’s neck was shifted in such a way it tore her left vertebral artery, blocking blood flow to the brain and resulting in a stroke.

Popularly known as “The Queen of Snapchat,” May sought treatment from Swartz for a known “trauma” suffered during a photoshoot in which “she had to hold an awkward pose for a while,” the lawsuit, which was obtained by People magazine, states.

“A reasonable chiropractor in Dr. Swartz’s position would not have adjusted May because of the risks involved and would have referred May to the emergency room,” the lawsuit argues.

The lawsuit also alleges Swartz did not write his patient report for May until Feb. 5, four days after treating her and one day after her death.

“It begs Plaintiffs to question whether Dr. Swartz went back to change his report after he was notified that May was hospitalized and subsequently died because of his treatment, the neck manipulation. He just tried to basically whitewash them and try to pretend all of a sudden now that he was making notes,” Richards said. “It was odd, like he went to someone and asked how to make notes that made him the least culpable.”

While talking to People magazine about the lawsuit, Richards said: “I think that the coroner’s report corroborates that it was the chiropractor’s manipulation that was the cause of death.”

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It was also revealed Richards and Maimon had originally hoped for a settlement out of court, but failed to come to an outcome with Swartz and his insurance company.

“Honestly, we were willing to settle within policy — we weren’t trying to hurt the doctor,” Richards said. “We’re just hoping that the daughter gets a college fund — we don’t want anything unreasonable.”

May’s mother, Janet, was unaware Maimon had officially filed the lawsuit.

“I don’t know what to say because it doesn’t bring our daughter back. If it brought our daughter back then I’d be so excited about it. But my daughter’s gone and we’ll never see her again so it doesn’t matter what happens,” Janet told People.