SARASOTA, Fla. – In the widely followed ‘Take Care of Maya’ trial, a Sarasota County judge has affirmed the jury’s verdict in favor of the Kowalski Family against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (JCACH), while reducing the total damages awarded. Judge Hunter Carroll’s ruling, issued on Tuesday, lowers the damages by $47.5 million, bringing the new total the hospital is ordered to pay the Kowalski family to $213.5 million.
This decision comes after Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital filed motions requesting both a new trial and a reduction in the damages initially awarded. The original verdict, delivered by a six-person jury in November, found the hospital liable on all seven counts, including false imprisonment and battery of Maya Kowalski when she was ten years old. Maya was sheltered at the hospital during a child abuse investigation.
Judge Carroll, in his recent ruling, denied the hospital’s request for a new trial. He acknowledged the substantial monetary awards, but stated, “Being large, though, does not necessarily mean they are excessive. In almost all cases here, they are not.” This statement underscores the judge’s confidence in the jury’s findings regarding the hospital’s liability in the ‘Take Care of Maya’ case involving the Kowalski family.
The hospital’s legal team had argued for a new trial, alleging juror misconduct, specifically claiming that the jury foreman shared trial information with his wife, who then posted about it on social media. Judge Carroll dismissed these claims, stating that the defense failed to provide sufficient evidence of juror misconduct. He commended the jury for their dedication and attentiveness throughout the complex trial, directly refuting the hospital’s portrayal of the jury’s conduct.
In his detailed order, Judge Carroll was critical of the hospital’s defense strategy, noting, “An overarching theme of JHACH’s Motion is it did nothing wrong, and its actions were rather ordinary. Having sat through the entire trial, the Court rhetorically wonders what JHACH’s definition would be of an extraordinary action.” This remark highlights the judge’s skepticism towards the hospital’s attempts to minimize their actions in the Kowalski family’s ordeal.
Despite upholding the core verdict, Judge Carroll agreed with the defense that the initial $50 million award to Maya’s father, Jack Kowalski, for non-economic damages was excessive. He reduced this amount by $26 million, setting it at $24 million. Further reductions included $16.5 million from financial damages awarded to Maya, her brother Kyle, and Jack, as well as a $5 million reduction from the medical billing fraud claim awarded to the Kowalski family.
Ultimately, while Judge Carroll adjusted the financial compensation, reducing the total from $261 million to $213.5 million, he firmly maintained the integrity of the jury’s verdict. He clarified that these reductions “does not follow that the entirety of the jury verdicts were improper or the product of passion. They were not,” reinforcing the validity of the jury’s decision in favor of the Kowalski family in this landmark ‘Take Care of Maya’ case.
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