Johns Hopkins All Children's 'Netflix' case continues: 8 updates

Oral arguments began on Feb. 12 for St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital's appeal in a case that gained national attention through a Netflix documentary, FOX 13 News reported. 

Here are eight things to know about the case and the oral arguments:

1. The Kowalski family sued All Children's in 2018 after the hospital reported Beata Kowalski, the mother of Maya Kowalski, a patient at the hospital, for suspected child abuse in 2016 after she requested ketamine to treat her daughter for chronic pain. The girl was removed by the state and sheltered at the hospital for three months, during which Beata Kowalski died by suicide.
   
   
2. A Netflix documentary titled Take Care of Maya, released in June 2023, covered the saga and was viewed nearly 14 million times in the first two weeks of its debut.
   
   
3. After an 8-week trial, the jury found the hospital liable for seven counts, including false imprisonment, medical negligence, and fraud, awarding the family $261 million in damages in November 2023. The Sarasota County judge later reduced the damages to $208 million.
   
   
4. Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital filed an appeal after the judge rejected a motion for a new trial in January 2024.
   
   
5. On Feb. 12, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital's attorney Derek Stikeleather argued the hospital did not receive a fair trial, claiming it should not be held liable for Beata Kowalski's suicide, which occurred months after the hospital's involvement.
   
   
6. Mr. Stikeleather also disputed claims of insurance fraud and argued that the trial court misunderstood immunity protections when reporting child abuse.
   
   
7. The Kowalski family's attorney, Mike Tanner, argued that the hospital misinterpreted immunity laws related to reporting child abuse. Mr. Tanner also challenged the hospital's claim that the Department of Children and Families tightly controlled Maya's actions, stating, "It's a significant exaggeration to say that DCF was involved in the details... that was all done by the hospital."
   
   
8. The Second District Court of Appeal is expected to rule on the hospital's appeal at a later date.