Jury Gives $114 Mil. in Winter Haven Nursing Home Abuse Case

The verdict is one of the largest ever by a Polk County jury.

Juanita Jackson died July 6, 2003, after staying at Integrated Health Services at Auburndale.

A lawsuit filed the next year claimed that Jackson's treatment at the facility led to her death.

The allegations included that Jackson was hurt after falling down and received other injuries from pressure sores, overmedication, malnourishment and dehydration.

A representative for Delaware companies listed in the lawsuit as operating the nursing home at the time of Jackson's stay, Trans Healthcare and Trans Health Management, could not be reached Wednesday for comment.

Blair Mendes, one Tampa lawyer representing Jackson's family, said the companies weeks ago stopped participating in the lawsuit after years of litigation.

A default judgment was entered against them on July 7, and jurors were asked to determine the amount of money in damages.

On Tuesday, jurors awarded $14 million in damages and $100 million in punitive damages to Jackson's family, which includes three daughters and a son.

"We are going to try to collect," Mendes said.

Jackson's children declined a request for an interview but released a statement.

"We are proud that we fought for our mom, and we are glad that people recognized the suffering she went through. We hope this will help make sure no one else has to go through such a horrible experience."

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