In one of Connecticut’s largest personal injury verdicts, a federal court jury on March 27 awarded the now 20-year-old New York woman $41.7 million after deciding Hotchkiss School, in Lakeville, was negligent in not preventing her from contracting encephalitis. Specifically, the school was faulted for not warning Munn and her parents that she would be traveling in mountainous and forested terrain. As a result, the jury found, she did not realize she had to protect herself from insect bites with repellants, long-sleeved shirts and trousers, and by avoiding brushy undergrowth.
Antonio Ponvert, of Bridgeport’s Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, represents the Munns. The girl was awarded $350,000 for her medical care to date, and an additional $100,000 to cover the medical evacuation costs of flying her back to the U.S. from China. She was awarded $9.8 million for future lost earnings and future costs of care. Non-economic damages awarded were $31.5 million for mental and emotional suffering and loss of life’s enjoyment, for a total of $41,750,000.
