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By the time Jay Caulfield was rushed to the hospital, he was near death and covered with infectious bed sores that cut to the bone. Mr. Caulfield, a man with late-stage multiple sclerosis and no mobility, had been abandoned by his state-sponsored caregiver and social worker. The case went to trial. Before closing arguments, Mr. Caulfield was offered $250,000 to drop his case. "No thank you," replied Mr. Caulfield, "I want to hear what the jury thinks." Read what the jury thought >
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 Jay Caulfield was suffering from late-stage multiple sclerosis. He maintained a few precious abilities, including the strength to hold himself upright for short periods and the coordination needed to turn the knobs on his wheelchair. However, without twenty-four-hour care, Mr. Caulfield could not walk, brush his teeth, change positions in bed, use the shower, or dial the telephone to call for help. Mr. Caulfield was entirely reliant upon his caregiver—a man who was approved, paid, and allegedly monitored by the State of Washington, DSHS.
While placed with the state-approved caregiver—for a period of only sixty-nine days—Mr. Caulfield was severely neglected, malnourished, and abused. By the time Mr. Caulfield was rushed to the Emergency Room, his weight had plummeted to a mere 80 lbs. Upon admission, Mr. Caulfield had Class IV bedsores that cut to his bones, his temperature was 105.8 degrees, he was septic, and his blood pressure (60/37) indicated that he was near death. Fortunately, Mr. Caulfield survived. However, the few abilities that he previously enjoyed were extinguished forever.
 David P. Moody represented Mr. Caulfield in a civil action against the caregiver and the governmental agencies that paid for, but failed to monitor, Mr. Caulfield's caregiving arrangement. In the face of damning evidence, the defendants denied wrongdoing, asked the judge to throw out Mr. Caulfield's case and, when those tactics did not work, pointed their fingers at Mr. Caulfield himself. The jury did not accept any of the defendants' excuses. Instead, the jury returned what is believed to be the largest single plaintiff verdict in the history of Kitsap County ($2.62 million).
The defendants pursued an appeal that was not successful. Mr. Caulfield not only won the appeal, but the court's decision has been published and will serve as legal precedent to protect victims in similar circumstances in the future. Read Caulfield v. Kitsap County, 108 Wn. App. 242, 29 P3d 738 (2001) Item 2, on Section 2.O to learn more.
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