$70M Medical Malpractice Jury Verdict Awarded to Georgia Woman
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After more than a decade of litigation, a Dougherty County jury has awarded a $70 million verdict in favor of Jessica Powell, a young woman who suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of negligent medical treatment. Lazenby Law Group and Cook Law Group LLC jointly represented Ms. Powell in her pursuit of justice against three physicians affiliated with Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital.
In 2013, at just 28 years old, Ms. Powell suffered cardiac arrest at home and was quickly transported to a nearby facility before being transferred to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. Due to her low blood pressure (hypotension), Jessica was placed on vasopressors — medications used to elevate blood pressure in critical care settings. Tragically, one of the vasopressors was initiated at 2.5 times the recommended maximum dosage. Although the dosing error was identified approximately 8 hours later, it was not corrected — even as her care transitioned between physicians over the next several days. As a result, Jessica endured 42 hours of dangerously high dosing, leading to significant ischemic injury (a restriction of blood supply) to her lower limbs.
Despite recognizing the excessive dosing, the second physician failed to act immediately, and a consulting vascular surgeon also missed critical warning signs of reperfusion injury. Ultimately, these compounded failures led to the amputation of both of Jessica’s legs above the knee.
The case was tried in Dougherty County Superior Court from April 7 through April 23, 2025. After a two-and-a-half-week trial, the jury returned its verdict in just 32 minutes — a clear and powerful statement of accountability. “The verdict came as no surprise because we knew from Day One that our client was clearly mistreated by her physicians. As I told the jury in closing, we had to hear denials from the Defendants for years, but it was now time to hear from them,” shared Matt Cook of Cook Law Group.
At the time of the trial, there was a $0 settlement offer from Mag Mutual Insurance Company. The case is believed to be the second or third largest medical malpractice verdict in Georgia history and one of the largest nationwide.
“Jessica is an amazing person who chose not to let her injuries destroy her. She has continued to work since her recovery and does very well for herself. She is just an amazing person and is very deserving of this verdict,” said Shane Lazenby of Lazenby Law Group.
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