Court rules family can sue D.C. AIDSRide organizers in woman's death

The U.S. court of appeals for the District of Columbia ruled Friday that the family of a woman who died during the 2000 Washington AIDSRide can sue the event's organizers and medical personnel for not recognizing the woman's life-threatening medical condition, The Washington Post reports. Eve Jaffe died during the ride after complaining of dizziness and nausea. Officials with the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center say Jaffe suffered a brain hemorrhage, but her family members contend she suffered a heart attack that went untreated. Jaffe's mother, Rochelle Jaffe, filed suit against now-defunct ride organizer Pallotta TeamWorks and the trauma center. A U.S. district judge in August 2003 ruled Rochelle Jaffe had no legal ground for the lawsuit, but the appeals court overturned that decision, allowing the lawsuit to move forward. Jaffe is seeking $10 million for alleged negligence by Pallotta TeamWorks and the University of Maryland Medical System, the parent organization of the trauma center.