Family members of a teenage girl who was declared dead after a sleep apnea procedure have filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland.
The suit on behalf of the family of Jahi McMath, who is still on breathing and feeding machines, alleges that doctors and nurses at Children's Hospital were negligent by being slow to help Jahi after she developed complications on Dec. 9, 2013, when she underwent surgery that was intended to cure a sleep apnea problem that had made it difficult for her to sleep.

The suit, filed Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court, seeks unspecified damages for personal injuries on behalf of Jahi, negligent infliction of emotional distress and the family's claim that the hospital breached standards of care.
It names as defendants Children's Hospital and Dr. Frederick Rosen, an ear, nose and throat surgeon who performed the procedure.
Jahi, who was 13 years old and an eighth-grade student at E.C. Reems Academy of Technology and Arts in Oakland, suffered complications after the procedure, and doctors declared her brain dead three days later on Dec. 12, 2013. However, Jahi's family filed suit and won a court order to require the hospital to keep her on life support.