A federal jury has awarded $100,000 in compensatory damages to a former western Pennsylvania jail inmate who said officials neglected his dental treatment after he broke a tooth.
Jurors on Friday deliberated for about 3 hours Friday before deciding in favor of 49-year-old Joseph Consonery of Washington, Pennsylvania.
Consonery sued Washington County and jail employees in 2009, saying they repeatedly ignored his requests for treatment during his four-month stay in the county jail.
He said a broken tooth had become infected but he wasn't allowed to see an oral surgeon until he was sent to the state prison in June.
His attorney, Lawrence Fisher, said bringing in a surgeon would have cost about $1,000.
Jurors declined to award punitive damages. The county solicitor said officials were disappointed with the verdict.
