Jury Awards Family $42.75M Following Nursing Home Death
The family of a 92-year-old man that died while staying at a Hopkins County, Kentucky nursing home has been awarded $42.75 million in damages. According to a report from Kentucky.com, the man’s family filed a lawsuit claiming the nursing home’s negligence directly led to the man’s death.
Joseph Clint Offutt was a resident of the facility from March of 2008 until April of 2008. Offutt was transported to a Kentucky medical facility and subsequently died after suffering from severe dehydration. The family argued that as a result of the facility’s negligence, Offutt suffered bedsores, infections and malnutrition, all of which resulted in his death.
The jury awarded Offutt’s family $40 million in exemplary damages, $1 million for Offutt’s personal pain and suffering as well as $1.75 million for Offutt’s wife’s loss. While the amount awarded to the family for punitive damages is a topic easily left for debate, the nursing home should still be held to some sort of penalty for their blatant negligence against Offutt and his health. The family should have justice in their favor for the loss that they have suffered. Leaving a resident’s feeding tubes and other necessary equipment unattended long enough for that resident to suffer malnutrition and dehydration is unacceptable.
