Doctor loses malpractice case, kills self

TAMPA, Fla., May 4 (UPI) -- A Florida urologist killed himself a few hours after a jury awarded a former patient $1 million in a malpractice claim.

Dr. Lawrence Grey's wife found him dead, the St. Petersburg Times reported. He had hanged himself in a bedroom closet in their home in Tampa.

Grey specialized in reversing vasectomies, using equipment he said he had designed himself. In the lawsuit, a man who went through the surgery in 2002 claimed that Grey had left two pieces of gauze in his scrotum, something the doctor said was impossible.

Timothy Moran, a Jacksonville lawyer who represented the plaintiff, blamed Grey's insurance company for not settling the case. He said he had made two settlement offers, one for $250,000 -- the limit under Grey's insurance coverage -- and one for $175,000. The verdict makes Grey's business liable for $750,000.

While Moran described Grey as "upbeat" and "very cordial" during the trial, his wife said the verdict upset him badly. Police said they found anti-depressants and an anti-anxiety drug in his home.