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Forsyth jury awards $1 million to man's estate Associated Press WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The estate of a local man who died while in the care of an adult-care home run by Novant Health has been awarded $1 million. Fred Johnson Brown, 86, died Oct. 26, 2003. He had developed pressure sores on his feet within a week of being admitted to to Springwood Care Center in August 2003. The Forsyth County jury awarded the money Wednesday for the lawsuit, which included claims of personal injury and wrongful death. "The jury found that the pressure sores did not cause Brown's death, but (the sores) were caused by negligence by the staff at the nursing home and that caused him pain and suffering," said attorney David Pishko, who sued Springwood in 2005 on behalf of Tanya Dawkins, the executor of Brown's estate. Freda Springs, a spokeswoman for Novant Health, said that an appeal would likely be filed. "We were happy that the jury found that we did not cause the patient's death," she said. "We were disappointed and confused about the financial decision." Brown suffered a stroke in July 2003 that left him unable to move and put him at a high risk for developing the sores, the lawsuit said. Brown was transferred from Springwood to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and then to the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home, where he died.
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