The award-winning country singer Garth Brooks has been given $1 million in a lawsuit against a hospital that failed to honour his request to name a building after his late mother.
An Oklahoma jury decided in favour of Garth Brooks, ruling that the hospital failed to build a women’s centre in honour of the singer’s late mother, and must pay $1 million.
The reparations total includes Brooks’ original donation of $500,000 as actual damages, as well as compensation in punitive damages.
The country singer made the donation in 2005 and said he had a verbal agreement with the president of Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital to have a women’s centre built in Yukon, Oklahoma and named after his mother, Colleen, who died of cancer in 1999.
Brooks sued the hospital upon learning that it had plans to use the donated money on other construction projects.
“This case is about promises: promises made and promises broken,” lawyer John Hickey told jurors. “Mr. Brooks kept his promise. Integris never intended to keep their promise and never built a new women’s center.”
According to the court documents, the hospital president, James Moore, testified that no promises were actually ever made to Brooks but discussions were held about the possibilities.
Before filing the lawsuit, Brooks requested a return of his donation but the hospital refused.
After the verdict was read in favour of Brooks, the Grammy Award-winning singer called the jurors “heroes” and stated that he simply wanted to honour his mother.
“This little pistol, she deserves nothing but good.”
Photo courtesy of: Chris Connor / WENN
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