Neil Armstrong's family was paid $6M in wrongful death settlement

Mercy Health paid the secret settlement in 2014

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 26: Former astronaut and commander of Apollo 11 Neil Armstrong testifies during a hearing before the House Science and Technology Committee May 26, 2010 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The hearing was to review proposed human spaceflight plan by NASA. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The family of famed astronaut Neil Armstrong was paid $6 million by a hospital as part of a wrongful death settlement, according to CNN by way of a New York Times report. 

Mercy Health reportedly paid the secret settlement in 2014, two years after Armstrong's death in 2012. 

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The New York Times reported Tuesday that Armstrong's sons believed that his death was due to poor post-surgical care at Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital and threatened to pursue legal action against the hospital. Although the hospital defended its actions and the care Armstrong received, they ultimately decided to pay out the settlement to avoid a legal battle.

The newspaper reported that it received mail from an unknown source with 93 pages of documents outlining Armstrong's treatment and the legal case. Three expert medical professionals reviewed the documents sent to the New York Times which showed what happened after Armstrong was admitted to Fairfield Hospital.

Doctors decided to perform bypass surgery immediately after running tests and implanted temporary wires in his heart to help pace his heartbeat, The New York Times reported.

But when those wires were removed Armstrong experienced internal bleeding and low blood pressure which required further procedures be performed, according to the newspaper's report. Armstrong died days later on Aug. 25, 2012.Â