Wife of man who died after catching fire in Nashville hospital settles HCA lawsuit

The family of a man who died last year in a Nashville hospital on Thanksgiving Day — after an alleged spark ignited oxygen he was receiving in his bed — has settled a federal wrongful death lawsuit against parent company HCA Healthcare, court records show.

Bobby Ray Stark, 64, was at TriStar Centennial Medical Center, where he had undergone a balloon lithotripsy surgical procedure. During his stay, medical staff determined that Stark had an irregular heartbeat and needed a defibrillator. Stark was receiving oxygen through a mask at 100% concentration at the time, according to the lawsuit.

Previous coverage: 'Reckless behavior:' Wife of man who died after catching fire in Nashville hospital sues HCA

Both sides agreed to settle the lawsuit in July, court records show. Stark's attorney declined to comment. An HCA representative did not respond to a request for an interview.

Frank Gluck is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at fgluck@tennessean.com. Follow him on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @FrankGluck.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: HCA, family settle lawsuit over patient catching fire in hospital bed