A Maryland woman with a history of wandering and leaving care facilities slipped out of an assisted living home through a window and died of hypothermia after spending three days outside in the freezing cold, a lawsuit said. Her body was found in a neighbor’s backyard, less than 100 feet from the facility that was allegedly responsible for looking after her.
Now, Nyakno Udo’s family has won a $4 million jury award after accusing La Familia Assisted Living in Rockville of failing to protect the 45-year-old despite knowing she was at risk of wandering away. A medical expert retained by the family concluded that her 2022 death could have been prevented with proper supervision and safeguards.
The Montgomery County Circuit Court entered a default judgment against the facility after its operator, Nurys Diaz, failed to participate in the wrongful death lawsuit. A jury spent two days determining damages, awarding $1.5 million to Udo’s mother’s estate and $1.25 million to each of two family members, according to court records and the family’s legal team, Brown & Barron, LLC…