FORT MYERS- Jurors in a medical malpractice trial have awarded $650,000 to the wife of a Fort Myers man jurors agreed died because of a doctor's negligence. The jury on Thursday found Dr. Razak Dosani negligent in the death of Karl F. Cleet, who died on June 2, 1998, at Lee Memorial Hospital. Jurors found no liability on the part of the hospital or its nurses. They awarded $650,000 to Cleet's wife, Sally Cleet, and $1,250 to Karl Cleet's estate. According to attorney Gary Paige, who represented Sally Cleet, she is also now eligible to ask that Dosani pay her attorney's fees and court costs because Dosani and his and his attorney rejected a settlement offer that was far below the amount the jury awarded. Karl Cleet was 52 on May 30, 1998, when he grew ill. According to a lawsuit filed by Sally Cleet, he was "noted by his wife to have some involuntary muscle activity and was unresponsive." Cleet was rushed to Lee Memorial Hospital and put in intensive care, where he was diagnosed as having gastrointestinal bleeding. Paige said Cleet was found to be suffering from an ulcer likely caused by some medicine he'd been prescribed after suffering a back injury.

Emergency room doctors "probably saved his life" that day, Paige said, adding, "They did a good job." But when Cleet was recovering from his treatment, he began experiencing symptoms similar to the ones he'd had before. Paige said Cleet's ulcer had begun bleeding again and Dosani ignored Cleet's deteriorating condition even though nurses called to tell him of the renewed symptoms. "He ignored it," Paige said.  "He did not come back to see the patient." Dosani couldn't be reached for comment Friday.  His attorney, Lynn Groseclose of Bradenton, didn't return a reporter's call.

Paige, who recently moved to Southwest Florida, said he'd heard Lee County juries can be extremely conservative in awarding damages. He was pleased with the outcome. "I'm happy to see a Lee County jury listened to the evidence carefully, weighed their decision carefully and returned what I believe is a fair verdict," Paige said.