Maya Kowalski’s $200 M Award Collapses on Appeal
In a dramatic turn in the high-profile “Take Care of Maya” case, the family of Maya Kowalski saw their landmark $213 million verdict against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital overturned by a Florida appeals court. The case, which captured international attention following a Netflix documentary, now shifts into a new phase—one that reminds us how justice, like in Nigerian landmark health-rights cases, can twist and turn long after the headlines fade.
The legal victory that the Kowalski family celebrated in 2023 has suddenly been undone. After a jury found Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital liable for false imprisonment, battery, and other serious claims—culminating in a roughly $213.5 million judgment—the Florida Second District Court of Appeal ruled on October 29, 2025 that the verdict must be reversed.
At the heart of the case: Maya Kowalski, diagnosed in 2015 with the rare pain disorder complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), was admitted to the hospital in 2016. Her mother, Beata Kowalski, a registered nurse, had insisted on ketamine treatments which hospital staff challenged. What followed was a claim that the hospital treated the mother as a perpetrator of Munchausen-by-proxy, separated Maya from her family, and triggered a chain of events ending in Beata’s suicide in 2017.
In 2023 the jury sided with Maya’s family, awarding a total of around $261 million (including punitive damages). A judge later trimmed it down to about $213.5 million. But the appeal didn’t challenge the facts of what happened so much as the legal basis by which the hospital was held liable.
The appeals court found that the trial court incorrectly applied Florida Statute 39.203(1)(a), a law giving immunity to entities that make good-faith reports of suspected child abuse. The hospital had reported concerns to the state, acted under orders, and therefore the court concluded portions of the claims should have been dismissed. In its decision the panel ruled:
“The final judgment in favor of the Kowalskis is reversed… On remand, only the IIED (intentional infliction of emotional distress) claim brought on behalf of Maya and the remaining false imprisonment, battery and medical negligence claims may be retried.
What this means in practice: the hospital is no longer on the hook for the full amount awarded by the jury, and many of the claims are stripped out or subject to retrial under stricter legal standards.
For the Kowalski family, this is a major setback. For the hospital and its staff, it provides a reaffirmation of protections when reporting suspected child abuse in good faith. In a statement, the hospital’s lawyer called the verdict "resounding" and hailed the decision as sending a “clear and vital message to mandatory reporters.”
In the broader view, this case highlights how documentary storytelling (in this case, the Netflix film) can lead to public outrage and significant jury awards, yet the appellate process can still radically shift outcomes. It echoes situations in Nigeria where landmark rulings are celebrated, only to later face appeals that alter the final chapter.
Conclusion
What once seemed like a massive victory for Maya Kowalski and her family has now entered a new, uncertain phase. The appeals court’s decision doesn’t mean the hospital is off the hook entirely—but it does mean the route to justice has been prolonged and more complex. For those following the case, it’s a reminder: in health-care disputes just as much as politics or entertainment, the story doesn’t end with the verdict. It often begins there.