Garth Brooks Receives $1 Million in Hospital Case
Garth Brooks was awarded $1 million in his lawsuit against a hospital in his native Oklahoma. The lawsuit came about to due a dispute over a donation in exchange for naming a wing of the facility after his late mother. Even though Brooks likely doesn't need the money as one of the most successful country stars ever, it was a matter of principle for him -- and the jury agreed. The $1 million includes his original donation, plus punitive damages, according to Reuters.
The jury ruled on Tuesday (Jan. 24), believing that the Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital (which is located on Garth Brooks Blvd. in Yukon, Okla., adding insult to injury for the hospital) committed a fraud by accepting his $500,000 donation in 2005, yet changing its mind about naming a part of the complex after Colleen Brooks, who passed away of cancer in 1999. Brooks felt he was lured into making the donation under false pretenses, while the hospital said it was at first unaware of who made the donation.
Brooks sued Integris in 2009 after the hospital refused to return his donation. The hospital then attempted to return the money after he filed suit and claimed it didn't initially give the cash back because it hoped an agreement could be reached and that court could be avoided.
The hospital went into the trial with rep Hardy Watkins acknowledging that "in the court of public opinion, we're not going to win."
"We are very disappointed the jury awarded dollars above the original donation," Watkins said about the outcome of the trial, saying the verdict was "surprising and disturbing."