Hollywood legend Ed McMahon, 86, died today from bone cancer. Ed McMahon is best known for his 30 year service on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Two years ago McMahon had a broken neck injury. Since he wasn’t able to work, he faced foreclosure on his home. However, at the end of 2008 he was given permission to stay in house.

Sad day in Hollywood (or should we say night).

The expense of a lawsuit probably wasn’t an issue for celebrity television announcer Ed McMahon who recently reached a private settlement in his medical malpractice lawsuit against Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. His malpractice lawsuit was based on an incorrect diagnosis and surgical malpractice. He claimed the hospital did not diagnose his injured neck by neglecting to take an X-ray and that the hospital made errors during two spinal cord surgeries which made his pain so unbearable he was unable to work, thus losing income and making it impossible for him to pay his bills.

Hopefully the settlement will put an end to this horrible drama McMahon has been living since he suffered a fall in March of 2008 at Robert Day’s house and he can focus on recovering.

Physicians and other medical professionals choose this line of work because the like helping people. But the fact remains, they are people too and susceptible to making mistakes just like everyone else. Just hope they are not holding a sharp instrument over you when it’s your physician’s turn to make a mistake.