On October 16, 2016, Willie Kendrick was assaulted by a security guard when he visited a patient at Rochester General Hospital.

Mr. Kendrick, then 23 years old, sued the guard alleging assault, battery and false imprisonment. The jury found in his favor and awarded him damages in the sum of $200,000 – $150,000 for pain and suffering plus $50,000 for false imprisonment (in each case, past only – seven years). Both liability and damages were affirmed on appeal in Kendrick v. Rochester General Hospital (4th Dept. 2024).

Plaintiff claimed that when he was leaving the hospital, the guard grabbed and attacked him, hitting, punching and kicking him until he was unconscious and then handcuffing him while he was on a hospital gurney.

Here are the injury details:

• Facial lacerations and bruising
• Traumatic injury to kidneys causing rhabdomyolysis (a condition that occurs when muscle tissue breaks down and releases its contents into the bloodstream)
• two week hospital admission

Inside Information:

• Defendant argued that plaintiff was being evicted from the hospital, he initiated the physical interaction and his injuries were minor with no fractures or surgery.
• The altercation was captured on surveillance video.
• The suit named the hospital as a defendant based on negligent hiring but proceeded to trial against just the security guard.