Jury awards $2.25 million to Georgia couple in suit over autopsy images of decapitated baby
ATLANTA (AP) — A jury has awarded a Georgia couple $2.25 million in their lawsuit accusing a pathologist of posting graphic videos of an autopsy of their decapitated baby.
A Fulton County jury returned the verdict against Dr. Jackson Gates on Wednesday. The couple, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr., hired Gates to perform an autopsy on their son, Treveon Taylor Jr., who was decapitated during delivery in July 2023.
They have separately sued the doctor who delivered the baby and the hospital where the delivery occurred. That case is pending.
In a lawsuit filed in September 2023, the couple said Gates posted several videos of the autopsy on Instagram without their permission. Gates initially removed the videos after receiving a letter from the couple's attorneys, but then reposted them, according to the couple's attorneys.
Ira Livnat, an attorney for Gates, said Saturday the jury's finding that Gates did not intend to cause harm 'flies in the face' of the plaintiffs' 'entire case.'
His client generally made posts about autopsies to educate other pathologists and advocate for independent evaluations when people felt a hospital had engaged in wrongdoing, he said.
The couple received a default judgment for intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and fraud after Gates did not immediately respond to their lawsuit.
'Dr. Gates testified that he is deeply sorry for any harm that he unintentionally caused the plaintiffs,' Livnat said. 'Had he known for one second that they would see that and that they would know it was their child, he would never have done it.'
Attorneys for the couple said in a statement that the doctor 'poured salt into the couple's already deep wounds.'
'This young couple trusted him with the remains of their precious baby,' they said. 'Gates, in turn, repaid this trust by posting horrific images of their child for the world to see.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Arrest made in hit-and-run death of Realtor in Netflix reality series
Sara Burack, a luxury real estate agent who appeared on Netflix's Million Dollar Beach House, was killed Thursday when she was mowed down in a hit-and-run while walking. Photo from luxgrouppalmbeach/Instagram June 21 (UPI) -- Police on Long Island have arrested a suspect in the fatal hit-and-run crash of Sara Burack, a luxury real estate agent featured on Netflix's Million Dollar Beach House. She was 40. Friday, one day after the crash, Amanda Kempton, 32, of Virginia, was arrested on charges of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident in which a fatality occurred in Hampton Bays. On Saturday, the marine biologist's family in Manorville put up collateral in lieu of $100,000 bail during a first appearance in Southampton Town Justice Court. Kempton, who had planned to return to Virginia for a wedding Saturday, faces up to seven years in prison in the felony case. Burack was discovered lying unconscious on the side of Montauk Highway, near Villa Paul Restaurant, at around 2:45 a.m. Thursday, Southampton Town police told the New York Daily News. Burack was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she died that afternoon, her friend and fellow realtor Paulette Corsair said. Corsair said Burack endured severe injuries to her head, brain and liver, as well as a broken leg. "This animal of a being, left her in the gutter to die," Corsair posted on Facebook. "She was not identified for hours. Her beloved family was called & I was next. We were all bedside w sara til the end." Although Kempton was at a tavern before the incident, her lawyer told the court that alcohol is not a factor in the case. Kempton did not see the victim in the fog, Keahon said, and thought she had hit a traffic cone. She left the scene and went to a friend's home, and found Burack's large, pink, wheeled suitcase underneath her vehicle, Keahon said. Authorities, using a license plate reader, tracked Kempton's movements and found her vehicle with a damaged front end at her family's home, prosecutors said. Burack, who lived in Southampton, was a renowned broker and former agent with Nest Seekers International, a luxury firm known for handling properties in Manhattan and the Hamptons. She listed property through Palm Beach Lux Group in Florida. Burack appeared on Million Dollar Beach House in 2020 with Peggy Zabakolas and J.B. Andreassi.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Photos of luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing 7, being lifted from the ocean
PORTICELLO, Italy (AP) — A British-flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily in 2024, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, has been recovered from the sea. The 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian was lifted by salvage crews near the port of Porticello, where it sank on Aug. 19 last year during a violent storm. A floating crane platform will move the Bayesian to the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese, where a special steel cradle is waiting for it. The vessel will then be made available for investigators to help determine the cause of the sinking. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Photos of luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing 7, being lifted from the ocean
PORTICELLO, Italy (AP) — A British-flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily in 2024, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, has been recovered from the sea. The 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian was lifted by salvage crews near the port of Porticello, where it sank on Aug. 19 last year during a violent storm. A floating crane platform will move the Bayesian to the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese, where a special steel cradle is waiting for it. The vessel will then be made available for investigators to help determine the cause of the sinking. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
