$660,000 Verdict for Family in Wrongful Death Case

Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore for the Plaintiff.

Roanoke City Circuit Court

Gentry Locke attorneys Tony Russell and Anthony Segura won a jury trial case concerning the wrongful, preventable death of an 89-year-old retired nurse. Although medical records indicated that the victim was a fall risk, employees at an orthopedic center instructed the woman to stand to have X-rays taken of her spine. While standing unassisted she fell, striking her head on the floor, and died six days later in a hospital. The Roanoke City jury found unanimously that the orthopedic center was negligent for the actions of its employees and that such actions caused the deceased’s untimely death. The jury awarded her family a total of $660,000, which included $10,000 for funeral expenses, $50,000 for medical bills, and $200,000 each to her three family members. As attorney Tony Russell stated in closing comments to the jury, “if healthcare providers do not protect the most frail, then who will they protect?”