A woman whose father died in 2017 in an ill-maintained housing project has been awarded $125 million in wrongful death damages.

A Georgia jury determined that Charles Hart died because Ralston Towers and the complex’s owner PF Holdings Inc. were negligent in maintaining livable conditions for residents. The failures allegedly included broken air conditioning in the unit Charles lived in, where the temperature reached 98 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hart was 62 years old and allegedly died from health issues that were aggravated by the excessive heat, according to the Muscogee County deputy coroner.

Defense attorneys argued that Charles died of pre-existing medical problems and not because of the sweltering temperatures, but the Muscogee County State Court jury disagreed.

Ralston Towers is a federally-subsidized housing complex located in downtown Columbus, Ga. The daughter, Christina Thornton, had her attorneys bring forth witnesses that testified that their requests to receive assistance from the maintenance department were consistently delayed. The housing complex also allegedly was overrun with rats because of garbage that management failed to haul away.

According to the website, because Ralston Towers has a “Project-Based Section 8 contract with HUD, some or all of the rents at this community are based on tenant incomes.”

The jury awarded Christina $35 million as wrongful death damages, plus an additional $15 million for the pain and suffering her father endured before he died, says the verdict language.

As part of their determination, the jury said that Ralston Towers and PF Holdings acted with specific intent to harm Hart, which led to the jury awarding $50 million in punitive damages and $25 million for attorneys’ fees.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Not Same as Criminal Charges

Similar to a personal injury lawsuit, a wrongful death lawsuit is filed when a person or entity has caused harm to another person through negligence or blatant misconduct. The term “personal injury” covers a wide range of mishaps and damage.

A lawsuit to hold someone accountable for person’s death is a civil case that is separate from a criminal charge that might be filed against the alleged perpetrator.

Survivors of the deceased person are known as “real parties in interest” and might include spouses, children, or parents of unmarried children who file a lawsuit against the negligent party or the party whose misconduct led to the death of a loved one.

A wrongful death lawsuit may be filed even in the event a criminal trial finds the defendant not guilty. The burden of proof for a civil lawsuit is not as great as it is for the prosecution of a criminal trial.

In the civil suit filed by the family of Charles Hart, the lawsuit had the additional benefit of shedding light on potentially dangerous living conditions that could be adversely affecting current residents. News reports indicated Ralston Towers has 269 apartment units.

The Wrongful Death Lawsuit is Christina Thornton v. Ralston GA LLC dba The Ralston et al., Case No. SC17CV572, in the State Court of Muscogee County, State of Georgia.