Overview
- A Grant County jury found Gila Regional Medical Center negligent and awarded Nichols’s family $13 million after a special verdict delivered on Thursday.
- The verdict sheet apportioned fault as 40 percent to Gila Regional and 60 percent to one treating doctor, while a second doctor was found not liable.
- The family’s lawsuit says Nichols was treated for sudden heart problems in 2022, placed in an observation unit, discharged to an assisted living facility and died hours later.
- Plaintiffs allege the hospital hired and supervised unqualified providers, failed to perform needed cardiac testing and did not secure a transfer or bed at a higher-level facility such as Las Cruces.
- Gila Regional has said in court filings that Nichols died of natural causes and has not responded to reporters, and coverage notes the verdict could prompt regulatory review or further legal appeals.