Jury Awards Several Million in Wrongful Death Case

By Daniel Hawn

Published on January 31, 2006

The widow ofJewell Wayne Barkes filed the lawsuit against River Park Hospital of Warren County. The lawsuit alleges that in 2000, Barkes, 48, was admitted to the hospital complaining of intense pain in his left arm. A nurse practitioner at the facility reportedly saw him and released him from the hospital without providing any kind of treatment.

Barkes died 30 minutes later of a heart attack, the lawsuit states.

Counsel for the Barkes' family argued in court that a doctor should have examined Barkes before he was released.

The jury made its decision in favor of the plaintiff late last week after both sides presented their closing arguments.

A spokesperson for the hospital said that an appeal might be filed, pending a review of the jury's findings.

The Barkes family said they hope that news of the verdict will help prevent similar events from happening to other families.

According to court officials, the $7.2 million verdict was the largest ever issued by a Warren County jury.

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