Rhode Island hospital settles with actor’s family

Over a period of three weeks, lawyers representing actor James Woods were in Kent County Superior Court, presenting evidence they said showed the hospital emergency room staff was negligent in their treatment of his brother Michael in 2006 and that the hospital was to blame for his death.

But the case was ultimately withdrawn by Woods in exchange for both undisclosed payments to Michael Woods’ surviving daughters and son and a promise by the hospital to invest $1.25 million over the next five years in patient safety efforts and the creation of the Michael J. Woods Institute at Kent Hospital.