Ants Bite Woman; Jury Sympathizes

A jury has awarded $1.2 million to a 93-year-old woman who was stung by a swarm of fire ants in her nursing home bed. Pearl Smith had blisters on her arm, neck, back and upper torso from the scores of stings she suffered in 2002 at the Surrey Place nursing home. She could not get out of bed to escape the ants. Her attorney, Michael Kohl, said she is unlikely to collect any money because the company that operated the nursing home, Consulting Management and Education, had no liability insurance and its debts exceed its assets.