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Patient gets fraction of award for error By BETH WARREN The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 08/04/06 A Fulton County jury delivered a cancer patient what her attorney called a disappointing $250,000 verdict Thursday to compensate her for a doctor's mistake in irradiating the wrong side of her face. Dariel Hunt had sought at least $1 million after undergoing 13 radiation treatments to the wrong side of her face. Hunt's attorney, James Poe, tried to convince jurors that Hunt, 61, will continue to suffer from dry mouth that wakes her from her sleep because the unnecessary treatment destroyed her right parotid gland, one of the producers of saliva located in front and below the ear. He also told jurors that her food tastes bland and she is more likely to have digestive problems, receding gums and lose her teeth. "I was disappointed that the jury didn't believe we had established the severity and permanency of her problem," Poe said. "I think juries are skeptical these days. I don't know how to convince the jury" of the long-term impact on her quality of life. The Atlanta-based radiation oncologist, Dr. Frederick Schwaibold, who ordered the 2003 treatments at Piedmont Hospital, acknowledged the mistake but never described how it happened. His lead attorney, Jack G. Slover Jr., urged jurors to compensate the patient but suggested a figure closer to $150,000. It was not immediately clear how much it cost to present the case and how much Hunt will receive after fees and expenses.
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