SLG attorneys Brian Poulter and Dylan Ruga received a $5.5 million jury verdict for their client, Sherril Phillips, who is an 89-year old woman that suffered a broken neck and accelerated dementia when the staff at her assisted living facility allowed an untrained activities assistant to escort Ms. Phillips. Ms. Phillips required a walker to support herself and was virtually blind in her right eye, so she needed assistance getting from one place to the next. The untrained activities assistant started walking with Ms. Phillips but then left her side to speak with another resident. Ms. Phillips continued walking unassisted and her walker hit the wall, causing her to fall and break her neck. Almost immediately after the fall, Ms. Phillips’s dementia went from “mild” to “severe” so she could no longer converse with her family, participate in activities, or enjoy the life she had before the fall.
The jury awarded Ms. Phillips $4 million for her past pain and suffering and $1.5 million for future pain and suffering. This is believed to be the largest verdict ever out of Van Nuys for an elder abuse/neglect case. Click here to see the verdict form.