
Ritter passed away in 2003 of a torn aorta and since then, his family has received more than $14 million in settlements related to the actor's death. Ultimately, in this case, the jurors noted that Ritter did not heed the advice of his radiologist to see a physician, after he was advised to do so upon hearing the results of his 2001 body scan. In other words, it was John's fault for not HEEDING advice. sick, heeding.