In a landmark decision that marks both justice served and the bitter cost of a 12-year legal battle, Jessica Powell, a Georgia schoolteacher, has been awarded $70 million by a Dougherty County jury — one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in the state’s history. What began as a medical emergency in 2013 ended in a life-altering tragedy, and now, over a decade later, the courts have ruled decisively in Powell’s favor.
Powell’s ordeal began when she collapsed at home due to a combination of a hormone deficiency disease and a stomach virus, prompting her rushed admission to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Georgia. Within hours, her condition deteriorated rapidly, and doctors diagnosed her with sepsis and shock — both life-threatening emergencies requiring aggressive treatment.
But the treatment that followed would devastate her life permanently.
Doctors administered Vasopressin, a powerful drug used to elevate blood pressure by constricting blood vessels. However, they gave Powell a dosage two and a half times higher than the maximum safe limit — over an extended 40-hour period. The consequences were catastrophic: restricted blood flow to her lower limbs, which eventually led to bilateral above-the-knee amputations.
Despite the devastating outcome, the physicians involved — Drs. Joe Morgan, James Palazzolo, and Thomas Ungarino — refused to accept blame, each offering varying defenses. Palazzolo argued that the treatment was necessary to save Powell’s vital organs. Ungarino claimed Powell’s legs were already damaged before hospital arrival. Morgan, who was called in to manage complications when blood flow returned, was accused of brushing off her care entirely.
Still, the jury was unconvinced.
After just 30 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned its verdict: $70 million in damages. Responsibility was split evenly between:
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Dr. Joe Morgan and Albany Vascular Specialist Center (50%)
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Drs. Palazzolo, Ungarino, and Albany Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates (50%)
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, while originally a defendant, had already settled out of court, and thus was cleared of liability in the trial.
The swiftness of the jury’s decision sent a powerful message. As Powell’s lead attorney Matt Cook said:
“That should tell you everything you need to know about who was right.”
Cook and co-counsel Shane Lazenby emphasized that what likely turned the jury decisively was the defendants’ refusal to accept any responsibility, even in the face of overwhelming evidence.
“Instead of embracing their mistake, which probably would have resonated with the jury, they denied it and said, ‘We meant to administer the care this way,’” Lazenby noted.
The doctors’ legal team issued a statement acknowledging the tragedy but doubling down on their belief that the physicians acted within standard practices, calling the amputations “an unavoidable consequence of life-saving care.” They praised the trial process but disputed the jury’s conclusion.
