Court Reinstates Damages in Assisted Living Death

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated a jury verdict against the management company of a Shelbyville assisted living center in the death of an 83-year-old resident. Records indicate the woman died from a ruptured colon after a nurse improperly administered an enema. The Supreme Court reinstated $300,000 in compensatory damages after finding that the center was understaffed and that the management company knew about it but did not fix it. A $5 million punitive damages award approved by the jury was sent back to the lower court for review.