Plaintiff, a 73-year-old patient, was brought to defendant hospital because he was experiencing vertigo, lethargy and incontinence. After a brief stay at the hospital, plaintiff was transferred to defendant nursing home, where admission papers indicated plaintiff had severe bedsores. Plaintiff was back and forth between the hospital and nursing home once more. Plaintiff's estate brought suit alleging the defendants failed to provide proper skin and nutritional care, which caused bedsores and eventually led to the development of septicemia. Plaintiff counsel maintained that the defendants disregarded known risks to the decedent, and thus sought punitive damages.
VERDICT: $6 million. (Each defendant was found 50% liable; $500,000 compensatory damages, $500,000 for loss of consortium, $3.5 million punitive damages against the nursing home and $1.5 million punitive damages against the hospital.)
Blango v. Hillcrest Convalescent Home, et. al. (Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania , Case no. 004518).
