A jury returned a verdict for Garth Brooks this week for $1 million dollars. Garth Brooks sued a hospital in Oklahoma after he donated $500,000 to the hospital with the stipulation that the money would go to a women’s center named after his mother. The hospital took the money and spent it as those saw fit. The hospital claimed the money was a donation without stipulations. The jury disagreed and returned a $500,000 verdict for actual damages and another $500,000 in punitive damages. Punitive damages are damages that serve to punish a wrongdoer. Punitive damages in a case like thise would have been awarded for acts of fraud and misrepresentation by the hospital.
In Kansas proving fraud requires proof of five things. 1) A false representation, 2) made when the person making the representation knew it was false, 3) the maker of the representation made the representation intending to get the hearer to act based on the representation, 4) the hearing of the representation was justified in relying on the representaiton and 5) the hearing suffered harms or losses as a result of the representation.
If you have been taken advantage of by a business or charity that committed fraud call Ryan Hodge at 316-269-1414 for a free consultation.
