John Ritter’s family has filed a wrongful death suit against the Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. The suit from Ritter’s wife, Amy Yasbeck, and his four children, alleges that Ritter’s death was caused because his condition was misdiagnosed.

The popular television star, died on September 11, 2003 after complaining of chest pains on the set of his ABC sitcom “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.” Ritter, 54, died due to a tear in his aorta. Ritter spent four hours in the emergency room. Doctors originally assumed that Ritter was having a heart attack but the problem was a much more rare ascending aortic aneurysm. The suit says that the misdiagnosis cost Ritter his life. Local doctors in California have defended the ER docs, saying that they were following the proper procedure for someone exhibiting Ritter’s symptoms.

The suit was filed September 3 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The hospital said Thursday that it would not comment, honoring the Ritter family’s original request that the hospital not release details regarding the case.