$213M Maya Award Reversal Stands as Florida Court Shuts Door on Rehearing
America ı By Rihem Akkouche
0 Comments
Like a gavel echoing for a second time, a Florida appeals court on Monday refused to revisit its decision undoing a $213 million verdict against a St. Petersburg hospital in the closely watched case tied to the Netflix documentary “Take Care of Maya.”
The Florida Second District Court of Appeal denied a request from Maya Kowalski to reconsider its October ruling that reversed the massive judgment against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. The earlier decision wiped away a jury award that had favored the Kowalski family, who say hospital staff’s handling of Maya during a three-month stay beginning in late 2016 contributed to the suicide of her mother, Beata Kowalski.
Appeals Court Holds the Line
Immunity Ruling at the Core
In its October opinion, the appellate court concluded that the trial court properly granted the hospital immunity under Chapter 39 of Florida law, which protects good-faith reports of suspected child abuse. But the panel said the trial veered off course when jurors were exposed to what it called “significant and inflammatory testimony” about restrictions imposed by the dependency court after Maya was removed from her parents’ custody and required to remain at the hospital.
While the court acknowledged that statutory immunity does not shield bad-faith conduct, it said the record contained no evidence showing the hospital carried out the dependency court’s orders in anything other than good faith.
“We agree that the trial court’s rulings on Section 39.203(1)(a) immunity permeated the entire trial,” the court wrote in October, ordering a new trial on all claims not otherwise resolved by its opinion.
Kowalski Pushes Back — and Is Rebuffed
Statutory Question Deemed Settled
In seeking rehearing, Maya urged the court to weigh whether Section 39 immunity should protect the hospital from tort claims a jury found were committed while she was in its custody. She framed the issue as one of “exceptional importance,” pointing to a statutory provision that withholds immunity from anyone suspected of abusing or neglecting a child or committing illegal acts against one.
The appellate court declined to reopen the issue, leaving its reversal intact.
Tragedy Behind the Case
The Kowalskis brought Maya to the hospital’s emergency room in October 2016 with severe abdominal pain. Hospital staff became concerned about potential medical child abuse after Beata Kowalski pressed doctors to administer high doses of ketamine, prompting a report to Florida’s Department of Children and Families.
Maya was removed from her parents’ custody days later and remained hospitalized for 97 days. Beata Kowalski died by suicide in January 2017.
In November 2023, a Sarasota jury awarded the family $211 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages, finding the hospital liable on all counts. Sarasota County Circuit Judge Hunter Carroll later trimmed more than $47 million from the award but denied the hospital’s request for a new trial — a ruling the appellate court ultimately overturned.
Discussion
No comments yet. Be the first to join the discussion!
FOLLOW US
Recent Posts
Body Found Floating in Queens Park Prompts Ongoing NYPD Investigation
Pulisic Is Not Training. What Happens to the U.S Team…
B-52 Crashed at Edwards Air Force Base. Eight Are Believed…
Trump Ordered Anthropic to Pull Its Two Most Powerful AI…
ZCash Security Scare Raises Questions About AI-Powered Cryptocurrency Exploits
85 Seconds to Midnight On The DoomsDay Clock: Why the…
The End of an Era: Seth Rogen and James Franco’s…
Don’t Miss It
Intelligence Gaps and National Security Debates Following the Expiration of FISA Section 702
By – Tyler BrooksDigital Image of Former President Donald Trump with Unidentified Individuals Triggers Wide Spread Speculation and Online Conspiracy Theories
By – Tyler BrooksThe Pursuit of Biological Immortality and the Rise of the Brainless Clone Startup
By – Tyler BrooksThe Cheyenne Mountain UAP Incident: New Reports Reveal ‘Potato-Shaped’ Craft Over Military Base
By – Tyler Brooks30-year-old franchise: Pixar Wages War Against The Obsolescence Of Its Own Digital Legacy
By – Tyler BrooksPlane Crash: Twelve people, including eleven skydivers and their pilot, have died following a tragic plane crash in Missouri.
By – Tyler BrooksSteven Spielberg Disclosure Day Crushes Box Office Expectations As The Fight For Truth Enters The Mainstream
By – Tyler BrooksRainn Wilson: “The Office” Would Be Impossible In Today’s Climate Despite The Launch Of The New Paper Sequel
By – Tyler Brooks
Kelly Warner Law Firm Blames USA…
In what appears as a desperate attempt to defend multiple…
By – USA Herald
Aaron Kelly Law Firm Resorts To…
Attorney Aaron Kelly and his law partner Daniel Warner are…
By – Jeff Watterson
Arizona Bar Opens Investigation on Attorney…
USA Herald recently reported on a developing story involving Attorneys…
By – Paul O'Neal
BackRooms: Hollywood Disruptors and the Rise…
In the second week of May 2025, senior executives at…
By – Tyler Brooks
The American Pop Star Oliver Tree…
The morning sky over Rio de Janeiro became a graveyard…
By – Tyler Brooks
US Confirms Peace Deal: Hormuz Opens.…
On Sunday, President Trump announced that the United States and…
By – Nicolas Carreno
Oliver Tree Dies at 32 in…
Oliver Tree, the genre-blending singer, songwriter, and internet personality was…
By – Jackie Allen
The Pentagon Dropped Its Third UFO…
The files keep coming. And with each drop, the official…
By – Nicolas Carreno
Only 30% of Young Americans Dating
A new 2026 report reveals that only 30% of young…
By – Karen Jesena
New York Chaos Erupts After Knicks…
New York Chaos unfolded across the city after the New…
By – Jackie Allen
Shrinking Global Pipeline Threatens Financial Stability…
The classroom at American University Washington College of Law remains…
By – Tyler Brooks
New York Knicks End 53-Year Championship…
The New York Knicks have finally climbed back to the…
By – Jackie Allen
Paramount and Warner Brothers Merger Approved…
The proposed Paramount and Warner Brothers Merger has cleared a…
By – Jackie Allen
David Geffen Reunites With Ex-Husband Aboard…
David Geffen is making headlines again after being spotted spending…
By – Jackie Allen
Me Too Fallout Deepens as French…
The Me Too movement continues to reshape France’s entertainment industry…
By – Jackie Allen
Me Too Fallout Deepens as French…
The Me Too movement continues to reshape France’s entertainment industry…
By – Jackie Allen
Iran Agreed to US Demands: Trump…
In a major diplomatic development, Iran Agreed to US Demands,…
By – Jackie AllenThe Me Too movement continues to reshape the entertainment industry…
By – Jackie Allen
Fatal Accident in Tulsa: Oklahoma Father…
A Fatal Accident in Tulsa that claimed the life of…
By – Jackie Allen
“You’re Killing Me” Brings Brooke Shields…
“You’re Killing Me” is one of Acorn TV’s newest mystery…
By – Jackie Allen
Karmelo Anthony Sentenced to 35 Years…
The case of Karmelo Anthony has drawn widespread attention across…
By – Jackie Allen
Karmelo Anthony Sentenced to 35 Years…
The case of Karmelo Anthony has drawn widespread attention across…
By – Jackie Allen
Trust Fund Battle Emerges in Rob…
The legal fight over a trust fund established by filmmaker…
By – Jackie Allen
OpenAI Moves Toward Historic IPO as…
OpenAI, the company behind the wildly popular ChatGPT chatbot, has…
By – Jackie Allen
New York Knicks NBA Finals Game…
The New York Knicks took center stage during Game 3…
By – Jackie Allen
Cockroach Kingpin Busted: More Than 100,000…
A suspected “Cockroach Kingpin” has been caught in what authorities…
By – Jackie Allen
Skywatchers Events June 2026
Several meteor showers remain active throughout June. Skywatchers events also…
By – Jackie Allen
Tren The Aragua Reportedly Killed: Kinetic…
The order came down from the White House with characteristic…
By – Tyler Brooks
The Single Developer Revolution: How AI…
The screen blinked with a command prompt that signaled the…
By – Tyler Brooks
Behind The Walls A Public Figure…
The fluorescent lights of the visitation room hummed with a…
By – Tyler Brooks
The Reckoning Of An Industry Icon…
The music industry just witnessed a tectonic shift that will…
By – Tyler Brooks
Federal Ruling Shifts Legal Landscape in…
The gavel came down in a Manhattan courtroom on a…
By – Tyler Brooks
Elon Musk Triggers The Two Trillion…
The financial world stands at a precipice as SpaceX officially…
By – Tyler Brooks
Nichelle Nichols’ Final Mission Ends in…
By Samuel López | USA Herald The woman who helped…
By – Samuel Lopez
Cannabis Giants Hit with Sweeping Class…
A major class action filed May 4, 2026, accuses five…
By – Samuel Lopez
New Pill Doubles Survival for Pancreatic…
Pancreatic cancer pill doubles life to 13 months By Tyler…
By – Tyler Brooks
FDA warns public as cookie firm…
FDA warns public as cookie firm rejects urgent recall request…
By – Tyler Brooks
Trump orders CDC to slash childhood…
Trump orders CDC to slash childhood vaccines from 17 to…
By – Tyler Brooks
USDA warns Americans over Salmonella in…
USDA warns Americans over Salmonella in meat products By Tylor…
By – Tyler Brooks
Mexico vs South Africa World Cup…
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially underway, but the…
By – Rihem Akkouche
FIFA World Cup 2026: Gianni Infantino…
The countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026 has transformed…
By – Tyler Brooks
The Halfway House Showdown: Convicted Serial…
Justice. Accountability. Public Safety. For the survivors who faced Darren…
By – Tyler Brooks
Chinese Company Blocked from Claiming Olympic…
By Samuel López | USA Herald The Olympic rings are…
By – Samuel Lopez
Lawsuit Aims to Knock Out Trump’s…
By Samuel López | USA Herald The fight may not…
By – Samuel Lopez
2026 Stanley Cup Final Game 2:…
2026 Stanley Cup Final Game 2: A Thrilling Comeback The…
By – Tyler BrooksNo posts found.
No posts found.
