Georgia Woman Awarded $70 Million After Waking Up To Find Both Legs Amputated

Jessica Powell, a Georgia school teacher, had both legs amputated above the knees in 2013 — and now she’s received a massive payout.

A woman who had to have both of her legs amputated has just won a major court case, more than a decade after the life-changing surgery took place.

Back in March 2013, Jessica Powell — a teacher from Georgia — suddenly collapsed at home. The incident was linked to a combination of a stomach virus and a hormonal disorder that caused her body to shut down.

She was rushed to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany. There, doctors diagnosed her with both sepsis and shock, and began administering medication to try to raise her dangerously low blood pressure as quickly as possible.

However, the treatment she received reportedly didn’t go as it should have. Jessica, who was just 28 at the time, ultimately ended up having both of her legs amputated above the knees.

Legal records state that the doctors looking after her gave her a dose of medication that was far too high, according to a report by Union-Bulletin.

The drug in question was Vasopressin. Jessica claims she was given an amount that was more than double the usual maximum dose — and that this continued for over 40 hours straight.

A woman filed a lawsuit after both of her legs were amputatedGetty Stock

Eventually, Jessica filed a lawsuit against the doctors and hospital, claiming medical negligence. After a 12-year-long legal battle filled with delays and disputes, a verdict was finally reached on April 23 of this year.

The lawsuit named doctors Joe Morgan, James Palazzolo, and Thomas Ungarino, along with Albany Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates and Albany Vascular Specialist Center. All of them denied any responsibility or wrongdoing throughout the case.

Despite the denials, it took the jury just 30 minutes to decide in Jessica’s favor. She was awarded $70 million in damages — one of the largest amounts ever given in a medical malpractice lawsuit in the state of Georgia.

Jessica Powell, now 40, has been awarded $70 million in damagesFacebook

Matt Cook, one of the lead attorneys representing Jessica, commented on the incredibly short deliberation time: “That should tell you everything you need to know about who was right.”

He also said: “The verdict came as no surprise because we knew from day one that our client was clearly mistreated by her physicians.”

“What drove the result was just the repeated denials and unwillingness to accept responsibility in the face of overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing.”

Jessica pictured with her legal team from Cook Law Group LLCFacebook

Even after the court ruling, the legal teams for the doctors and associated groups stood by their position and said they disagreed with the outcome.

“The physicians acted appropriately under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, and we respectfully disagree with the jury’s verdict and any notion that these respected physicians failed to meet the standard of care,” they told Union-Bulletin.

“Unfortunately, the resulting bilateral above-the-knee amputations, while devastating, were an unavoidable consequence of the life-saving treatment provided.”