Emily K. was 96-years young, an avid reader, and a resident of a local retirement home. The retirement home provided a small library for the residents. Emily enjoyed volunteering at the library. One afternoon she was re-shelving books when suddenly a tall bookcase came crashing down upon her, pinning Emily to the ground. She immediately felt burning pain in her hip, and cried out for help. Emily was taken to the emergency room where it was determined she had a fractured hip. This is a serious injury for someone Emily's age. She forged through the surgery and painful therapy like a trooper, and made the best out of a bad situation.
All of this could have been avoided had the bookshelf been properly secured to the wall. Instead of accepting responsibility, the retirement home blamed Emily for causing the bookshelf to fall. Unbelievably, the retirement home forced Emily, then 98-years old, to take her case to a 3-day jury trial. While it was a very stressful time for her, Emily chose to stand up for herself and not allow the retirement home to take advantage of her.
Justice was served when the jury returned a verdict in favor of Emily, placing 100% blame on the retirement home. The jury fairly compensated Emily for her medical bills and the pain and suffering she endured. Taking a case to a jury trial is like getting surgery. It should be the last resort but sometimes it is necessary to right what is wrong. Emily recently celebrated her 105th birthday!
