When Lynn Flaherty visited her family doctor's office in Mt. Lebanon on Dec. 4, 2001, she had been having headaches and a nasal discharge -- symptoms consistent with a sinus infection.

But the physician's assistant who saw her failed to make that diagnosis or to prescribe antibiotics. Instead, according to Mrs. Flaherty's attorney, his client received a prescription for steroids, was told to undergo additional testing and return in a week.

But just five days later, she developed stroke-like symptoms, including facial drooping and disorientation, said one of her attorneys, Stephen Del Sole.

Mrs. Flaherty, of Bethel Park, went to the emergency room at St. Clair Hospital, where a CT scan revealed a brain abscess. She was immediately flown to Allegheny General Hospital where she underwent emergency brain surgery.

On Tuesday, after an eight-day trial before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey A. Manning, a jury awarded Mrs. Flaherty and her husband, James, a $3 million medical malpractice verdict.

It deliberated for five hours.

The defendants in the case, Dr. Lesley DeGiovanni, Dr. John Montini and their physician's assistant, Kellie Egidi, plan to appeal.

Based on her attorney's advice, Dr. DeGiovanni said that she could not talk extensively about the case.

She did say, though, that they -- and their malpractice carrier -- believed Mrs. Flaherty was treated appropriately in their office.

"We feel badly for the ultimate outcome," she said. "This poor woman went through a horrible situation."

She added that they have complete confidence in Ms. Egidi.

But Mr. Del Sole said that the doctors in the office failed to follow the protocol they laid out in employing a physician's assistant.

On paperwork submitted with the state, Drs. DeGiovanni and Dr. Montini said they would see every patient treated by Ms. Egidi.

"The testimony was undisputed that that did not happen," Mr. Del Sole said. "Clearly, the doctor would have treated her differently."

Instead, Mrs. Flaherty took the steroids, which experts testified would have masked the sinus infection and exacerbated it.

Following the first emergency brain surgery, Mrs. Flaherty -- who had part of her skull removed -- went into respiratory failure. She was on a ventilator and later had to have follow-up surgery.

Her skull has since been replaced by plastic.

She went to rehabilitation to learn how to walk again and regain the skills to function in daily life. Mrs. Flaherty lost all peripheral vision on her left side, has balance problems and a nerve injury in her right leg, Mr. Del Sole said.

Now 61, she has not been able to return to working as a real estate agent, he continued.

His client is now considered to have a frontal lobe injury.

She is unable to regulate her emotions and has difficulty with complex cognitive function.

"She's just not the same person," Mr. Del Sole said.

The $3 million verdict was divided, with $2 million going to Mrs. Flaherty to cover medical expenses and pain and suffering. The other $1 million went to her husband, who was her high school sweetheart, for loss of consortium.

"It's a tough injury for him, as well," Mr. Del Sole said. "He still has a horribly injured wife. No amount of money is going to change that."